Medical (amendment) Bill gets clearance from Supreme Court

By Ashwin Hemmathagama 

The Supreme Court has determined the provisions of the Medical (amendment) Bill are not inconsistent with the Constitution and could be passed by Parliament by a simple majority.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya read out the determination on the Medical (amendment) Bill in respect of which petitions have been filed in terms of Article 121 (1) of the Constitution to be printed in yesterday’s official report of the Parliament.

The first reading of the Bill took place on 17 July with the aim to make several changes, including specifying the qualifications required for a medical or dental specialist to be registered with the Medical Council (MC) to facilitate an increase in the number of members of the Medical Council by including three medical specialists and one dental specialist, and will enable the registrar of the MC to keep a register of medical and dental specialists.

According to the proposed provisions of the Bill, no person will be allowed to practice as a medical or dental specialist without registration once the amended law becomes operational. Every medical practitioner or dentist who possesses any qualification eligible to be registered as a medical or dental specialist on the date of commencement of this Act and has been engaged in the practice of the specialty before that date will be required to obtain registration within a period of 12 months from the date the law becomes operational. (AH)