New Delhi: The Delhi government has handed over interim charge of the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) to Dr Vatsala Aggarwal, the newly appointed Director General of Health Services (DGHS), nearly two months after the council was dissolved over alleged irregularities.
An order issued on August 25 confirmed that Dr Aggarwal will function as registrar of the statutory body and oversee its reconstitution within two months. Officials said the move was cleared by Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, who directed the government to expedite the process under provisions of the DMC Act.
This is the second interim arrangement in a matter of weeks. After the council’s dissolution in June, then DGHS head Dr Rati Makkar was asked to manage registrar duties. However, Makkar opted for voluntary retirement earlier this month, leaving the council without a registrar and creating a bottleneck in regulatory work.
According to senior health department officials, nearly 800 pending registration applications from Indian doctors, 150 from foreign medical graduates, and about 300 requests for no-objection certificates are currently awaiting clearance. “The absence of a registrar has created significant delays for hundreds of doctors who cannot proceed with practice or renewals until approvals are granted,” an official said.
The Delhi government had dissolved the DMC in June citing administrative lapses, including the disputed extension of tenure for former registrar Dr Girish Tyagi. A probe committee was set up to investigate financial and procedural irregularities. While the panel submitted its findings earlier this month, the report was found unsatisfactory, and a revised inquiry is now underway.
Dr Aggarwal’s appointment, officials said, is aimed at restoring regulatory stability and ensuring the council is fully reconstituted in the next two months.