Registration of persons registered in merged States

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 16, every practitioner, whose name immediately before the date of merger of the state with the State of Bombay, stood registered as a practitioner in the register of practitioners maintained under any law for the time being in force in the merged State corresponding to this Act shall be deemed to be a practitioner registered under this Act. (2) If any question arises whether any person is deemed to be a registered practitioner under sub-section (1), the matter shall be referred to the Surgeon General with the Government of Bombay for decision and his decision shall be final.