As part of the efforts to weed out quacks from the state, the Tamil Nadu government may initiate stern action against any allopathic doctor failing to register with the Medical Council of India (MCI) on or before the deadline of 31st December 2003.

According to Tamil Nadu health minister TN Thalaivi Sundaram, stern action would be taken against any practicing doctors in the state who have not registered with the MCI after the deadline given by the government sometime ago. The nature of action and ways to detect quacks would be soon decided in consultation with the state medical council.

So far about 40, 000 doctors working in government and private hospitals have registered and obtained their identity cards, said the minister. He directed all allopathic doctors in the state to register with the IMA before the deadline, as stringent action would be taken against defaulters.

The Tamil Nadu State Medical Council (TNSMC) is also implementing a strict revised code of ethics for doctors, which mandates them to display medical registration number and other recognized medical degrees prominently visible to the patients, besides maintaining proper medical records.

A top-level source with TNSMC, also a former office bearer of IMA, had earlier told this paper that IMA had initiated a move to identify quacks operating in the state a few years ago. The idea was to create data of registered practitioners and non-registered practitioners through the various branches of the organisation, and passing on the available information to concerned law enforcing agencies.