SEVERAL MEDICAL doctors have been flocking the offices of the Medical Council of Jamaica to pay up their outstanding fees and become regularised, according to Dr. John McHardy, the council's registrar.
Last week, the council published, in The Gleaner, the names of the 1,048 doctors who are practising but are not registered. There are 2,673 doctors on the medical register, which means that up to last week, 1,625 doctors were still not registered.
"The ad has had its desired effect. They are coming forward," Dr. McHardy told The Gleaner yesterday. He said there were about 1,600 doctors who are still operating illegally, which means that about 600 have become regularised since last week.
The council's registrar said his office has found that a number of the doctors who have not paid their fees are no longer working in Jamaica.
MEDICAL EDUCATION
The Medical Act stipulates that doctors should pay a practising allowance each year. In addition, doctors are required to complete at least 10 hours of continuing medical education. The deadline for payment was January 31, but was extended until February. Doctors who fail to meet the deadline are required to pay double the fee.
Dr. McHardy said the council recognises that the sanctions that are meted out against doctors who fail to make the payment on time are not severe enough.
"So we are going to be working on that," he said.
