Chapter I Preliminary

(1) This Act may be called the Goa Medical Council Act, 1991. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Goa. (3) This section shall come into force at once; and the remaining provisions of this Act shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— (a) “appointed day” means the date on which the provisions of this Act other than section 1 come into force under sub-section (3) of section 1; (b) “Council” means the Goa Medical Council constituted or deemed to be constituted under section 3; (c) “Executive Committee” means the Executive Committee of the Council constituted under section 11; (d) “Government” means the Government of Goa; (e) “medical practitioner” or “practitioner” means a person who is engaged in the practice of modern scientific medicine in any of its branches including surgery and obstetrics, but not including veterinary medicine or surgery or the Ayurvedic, Unani, Homoeopathic or Biochemic system of medicine; (f) ‘“member” means a member of the Council; (g) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (h) “President” means the President of the Council; (i) “register” means the register of medical practitioners prepared or deemed to be prepared and maintained under this Act; (j) “registered practitioner” means a medical practitioner whose name is for the time being entered in the register, but does not include a person whose name is provisionally entered in the register; (k) “Registrar” means the Registrar appointed under section 14 or 32 as the case may be; (1) “rules” means rules made under section 28; (m) “Vice-President” means the Vice-President of the Council.

(1) The Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute a Council to be called the Goa Medical Council. (2) The Council shall be a body corporate, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property and to contract, and may by the name aforesaid sue and be sued. (3) The Council shall consist of the following members, namely:— (a) The Director of Health Services, ex-officio; (b) The Dean or Director, Goa Medical College, ex-officio; (c) three members to be nominated by the Government, out of whom not more than one may be a person who is not a practitioner; (d) one member from University established by law in the State of Goa which has a medical faculty, elected by members of the medical faculty of the University from amongst members thereof who are practitioners; (e) five members to be elected by registered practitioners from amongst themselves. (4) The President and Vice-President shall be elected by the members from amongst themselves. (5) The election of the members and of the President and Vice-President shall be held at such time, and at such place and in such manner, as may be prescribed. (6) If at any election, the electors fail to elect the requisite number of members or the President or the Vice-President, the Government shall nominate such registered practitioner or practitioners as it deems fit, to fill up vacancy or vacancies; and the practitioners so nominated shall be deemed to have been duly elected under this section. (7) Where any dispute arises regarding any election of a member or the President or Vice-President, it shall be referred to the Government and the decision of the Government shall be final. (8) Until elections are held to elect the members or President or Vice-President, the Government shall nominate such registered practitioner or practitioners as it deems fit to fill up the vacancy or vacancies; and the practitioners so nominated shall be deemed to have been duly elected under this section.

(1) The Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, publish the names of the members elected and nominated. (2) Save as otherwise provided by this Act, a member, whether elected or nominated, shall hold office for a term of 5 years from the date of publi-cation of the notification under sub-section (1): Provided that, where a person is elected by menmhers of a medical faculty of a University, he shall cease to hold office as a member, if he ceases to belong to that faculty. (3) Save as otherwise provided by this Act, the President and the Vice-President shall hold office from the date of his election upto the day on which his term of office as member expires. (4) The term of office of an outgoing member shall, notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), be deemed to extend to and expire with the day immediately preceding the day on which the names, of the successor members are published under sub-section (1). (5) The term of office of an outgoing President or Vice-President shall, notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), be deemed to extend to and expire with the day immediately preceding the day on which the successor President or Vice-President, as the case may be, is elected. (6) An outgoing member, President or Vice-President, shall be eligible for re-election or re-nomination. (7) Leave of absence may be granted by the Council to any member for a period not exceeding six months.

(1) Any casual vacancy, previous to the expiry of the term, in the office of the President or the Vice-President or of a member elected under clause (d) and (e) of sub-section (3) of section 3, caused by reason of death, resignation, disqualification or disability or any other reason, shall be filled by election: Provided that, any such vacancy in the office of an elected member occurring within six months prior to the date on which the term of office of all the members expires, shall not be filled. (2) Any casual vacancy, previous to the expiry of the term, in the office of a member nominated under clause (c) of sub-section (3) of section 3 shall be reported forthwith by the Registrar to the Government, and shall as soon as possible thereafter be filled by the Government by nomination. (3) Any person elected under sub-section (1) or nominated under sub-section (2) to fill a casual vacancy shall, notwithstanding anything contained in section 4, hold office only so long as the person in whose place he is elected or nominated would have held office, if the vacancy had not occurred.

(1) The President or the Vice-President may at any time resign his office by a notice in writing addressed to the Council, and delivered to the Registrar. The resignation shall take effect from the date on which it is accepted by the Council. (2) An elected member may at any time resign his office by a notice in writing addressed to the President. A nominated member may at any time resign his office by a notice in writing addressed to the Government. Every such resignation shall take effect from the date on which it is accepted by the President or, as the case may be, the Government.

(1) A person shall be disqualified for being elected or nominated as, and for continuing as, a member,— (a) if he is an undischarged insolvent; (b) if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by competent Court; (c) if his name has been removed from the register and has not been re-entered therein; or (d) if he is a whole time officer or servant of the Council. (2) If any member absents himself from three consecutive meetings of the Council, without leave of the Council granted under sub-section (7) of section 4 or without such reasons as may, in the opinion of the Council, be sufficient, the Council may declare his seat vacant and take steps to fill the vacancy. (3) If any member becomes or is found to be subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in sub-section (1), the Council shall submit a report to the Government, and the Government, if satisfied about the disqualification, shall declare his seat vacant.

(1) The meetings of the Council shall be convened, held and conducted in such manner as may be prescribed. (2) The President, when present, shall preside at every meeting of the Council. If at any meeting the President is absent, the Vice-President, and in the absence of both, some other member elected by the members present from amongst themselves, shall preside at such meetings. (3) All questions at a meeting of the Council shall he decided by a majority of votes. (4) The presiding authority at a meeting shall have and exercise a second or a casting vote in case of an equality of votes. (5) Six members including the President and the Vice-President shall form a quorum. When a quorum is required but not present, the presiding authority shall adjourn the meeting to such hour on some future day as it may notify on the notice board at the office of the Council; and the business which would have been brought before the original meeting had there been a quorum thereat, shall be brought before the adjourned meeting, and may be disposed of at such meeting or any subsequent adjournment thereof, whether there be a quorum present, or not.

(1) The proceedings of the discussion of every meeting of the Council shall be treated as confidential; and no person shall, without the previous resolution of the Council, disclose any portion thereof: Provided that, nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit any person from disclosing or publishing the text of any resolution adopted by the Council unless the Council directs such resolution also to be treated as confidential. (2) No disqualification of or defect in the election or nomination of any person as a member, or as the President, or as the Vice-President, or as a presiding authority of a meeting, shall of itself be deemed to vitiate any act or proceedings of the Council in which such person has taken part, whenever the majority of persons who are parties to such act or proceedings, were entitled to vote. (3) During any vacancy in the Council, the continuing members may act, as if no vacancy had occurred; Provided that, the number of vacancies shall at any time not exceed five.

Subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by or under the provisions of this Act, the powers, duties, and functions of the Council shall be— (a) to maintain the register, and to provide for the registration of medical practitioners; (b) to hear and decide appeals from any decision of the Registrar; (c) to prescribe a code of ethics for regulating the professional conduct of practitioners; (d) to reprimand a practitioner, or to suspend or remove him from the register, or to take such disciplinary action against him as may, in the opinion of the Council, be necessary or expedient; (e) to constitute Ethics-cum-Disciplinary Committee and such other Committees concerned with the functioning of medical profession as may be necessary from time to time; (f) to recognise, approve and certify courses/seminars organised by the Institutions/Organisations for continuing medical education. Furthermore, to organize continuing medical education programme by the Council; (g) to act as screening body for assessing the input in courses or seminars with respect to continuing medical education; (h)to suggest changes and amendments to this Act and the rules from time to time; (i) to act suo motu based on complete satisfaction of the Council, to bring to the notice of the appropriate authority for strict implementation and enforcement of the present law and breach of ethics or law relating to practice of medicine; (j)to exercise such other powers, perform such other duties and discharge such other functions, as are laid down in this Act, or as may be prescribed.

(1) The Council shall, as soon as may be, constitute an Executive Committee consisting of the President ex-officio, the Vice-President ex-officio, the Director of Health Services, ex-officio, and the Dean or Director, Goa Medical College, ex-officio, and such number of other members, elected by the Council from amongst its members as may be prescribed. (2) The term of office of, and the manner of filling casual vacancies among, and the procedure to be followed by, the members of the Executive Committee shall be such as may be prescribed. (3) In addition to the powers, duties and functions conferred, imposed and entrusted by this Act, the Executive Committee shall exercise such powers, perform such duties and discharge such functions of the Council as may be delegated to it by rules or entrusted to it from time to time, by the Council.

There shall be paid to the President, Vice-President and other members of the Council, and to the members of its Executive Committee, such fees and allowances for attendance at meetings, and such reasonable travelling allowance, as shall from time to time be prescribed.

The Council may prescribe suitable honorarium/remuneration to the President and to such office bearers as it may deem necessary.

(1) The income of the Council shall consist of— (a) fees received from the practitioners; (b) grants received from the Government, if any; and (c) any other sums received by the Council. (2) It shall be competent for the Council to incur expenditure for the following purposes, namely:— (a) salaries and allowances of the Registrar and the staff maintained by the Council; (b) fees and allowances paid to the members of the Council and the Executive Committee; (c) remuneration paid to the assessors; and (d) such other expenses as are necessary for performing the duties and discharging the functions under this Act.

(1) The Council shall, with the previous sanction of the Government, appoint a Registrar. (2) The Executive Committee may from time to time grant leave to the Registrar: Provided that, if the period of leave does not exceed one month, the leave may be granted by the President. (3) During any temporary vacancy in the office of the Registrar due to leave or any other reason, the Executive Committee may, with the previous sanction of the Government, appoint another person to act in his place, and any person so appointed shall for the period of such appointment, be deemed to be the Registrar for the purposes of this Act: Provided that, when the period of such vacancy does not exceed one month, the appointment may be made by the President, who shall forthwith report such appointment to the Executive Committee, and the Government. (4) The Council may, with the previous sanction of the Government, suspend, dismiss or remove any person appointed as the Registrar or impose any other penalty upon him. (5) Save as otherwise provided by this Act, the salary and allowances and other conditions of service of the Registrar shall be such as may be prescribed. (6) The Registrar shall be the Secretary and the Executive Officer of the Council. He shall attend all meetings of the Council and of its Executive Committee, and shall keep minutes of the names of members present and of the proceedings at such meetings. (7) The accounts of the Council shall be kept by the Registrar, in the prescribed manner. (8) The Registrar shall have such supervisory powers over the staff as may be prescribed, and may perform such other duties and discharge such other functions as may be specified in this Act or as may be prescribed. (9) The Registrar appointed under this section shall be deemed to be a. public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code Central Act 45 of 1860).

(1) The Council may, appoint such Officers and servants other than the Registrar, as it may deem necessary for performing its duties and discharging its functions under this Act: Provided that the number and designation of such officers and servants and their salaries and allowances shall be determined by the Council, with the previous sanction of the Government. (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), but, subject to such financial limit as may be laid down in this behalf by the Council, it shall be competent for the Executive Committee to create temporary posts of clerks or servants and to make appointments thereto, to meet any temporary increase in work, or to carry out any work of a seasonal character. (3) The other conditions of service of the officers and servants of the Council shall be such as may be prescribed. (4) The officers and servants of the Council appointed under this section shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (Central Act 45 of 1860).