Travancore Cochin Medical Council, Trivandrum

The Kerala State Medical Practitioners Act, 2021 was passed by the Kerala State Legislature replacing Travancore Cochin Medical Practitioners Act 1953. The first initiative to set up a council was taken by the His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore, in 1944. The Travancore Medical Practitioners’ bill was discussed in the Legislature and formally passed as Act No.VII of 1119 on 1st Chingam 1119 (Corresponding to 17th August 1943). The Travancore Medical Council comprising of seventeen members from various disciplines viz. Allopathy (Modern Medicine), Ayurveda, Siddha Vaidya, Unani and Homeopathy was formed under this Act. The Act was named the Travancore Medical Practitioners Act. After independence this Act was replaced by Travancore Cochin Medical Practitioners Act, 1953. Thus Kerala State Medical Council is the successor body of the erstwhile Travancore Cochin Medical Councils established by the TCMP Act, 1953.

The paramount duty of the KSMC is the registration of a medical practitioner and thus guaranteeing his professional integrity. Objective of the new enactment was to unify the existing enactments in Kerala, to regulate the qualification and to provide for the registration of Medical practitioners. The Kerala State Medical Practitioners Registration Act (KSMP Act) governs the registration of medical practitioners in Kerala who is qualified to practice Modern medicine, Indian System of Medicine, Homoeopathy, Yoga, and Naturopathy. Earlier Ayurveda and Siddha were under the heading of indigenous medicine. However, under the KSMP Act, they are currently included in the Indian System of Medicine. Earlier The TCMP Act excluded naturopathy, which is now included in the KSMP Act.

The KSMC separately maintain registers for each system of medicine, and provides for the registration of medical practitioners in respective system of medicine. The Council has the power to hear and decide appeals against any decision of the Registrar on matters of registration. Also to receive complaints from patients and their relatives (including public) against misconduct or negligence by a medical practitioner, to proceed for inquiry, take a decision on the merits of the case and to initiate disciplinary action or award compensation. The Council has the power to reprimand a practitioner, or to suspend or remove his name from the register, or to take such other disciplinary action against him as may, in the opinion of the Council be necessary or expedient. And the most important function of the council is to ensure that no unqualified person practices treatment in any system of medicine in State of Kerala.