Tamil Nadu medical body head ousted in ‘coup’

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Medical Council president Dr K Senthil, who has debarred nearly 10 doctors since February this year for violation of medical ethics, was ousted in a ‘coup' by a section of office-bearers of the council on Wednesday.
Six of the 10 office-bearers announced that they have accepted the president's resignation and made vice-president Dr J A Jayalal as the interim president. Four executive committee members from the team then postponed the general council meeting scheduled by Dr Senthil on August 30 to September 9.
Later, council president Dr Senthil told TOI that he had not submitted his resignation.
"It is a coup against me, all because I have taken a couple of steps that council members are uncomfortable with. One of them is a measure to keep a check on expenditures and the other is a case against a senior gynaecologist," he said.
In 2012, seven members were elected as office-bearers to the Tamil Nadu Medical Council – Dr K Prakasam, Dr AS Ashraf, Dr P Balakrishnan, Dr LP Thangavelu, Dr T Sadagopan, Dr Senthil and Dr Jayalal – and three others (Dr Kumuda Lingaraj, Dr VS Durairaj and Dr RVS Surendran) were nominated as members. Five of the ten members – Dr Senthil, Dr Balakrishnan, Dr Prakasam, Dr Ashraf and Dr Jayalal – are in the executive committee.
"There was a gentleman's agreement to step down from the post after serving for one year, so each of us gets a chance. While taking charge, we give our handwritten resignation letters. They predated my resignation by six months to protect some unethical doctors," said Dr Senthil.
However, other members denied these charges. "We are happy with Dr Senthil's performance. We have agreed that each of us in the five-member executive committee gets a chance. He is stepping down because of that. I will be made the next president," said Dr Jayalal.
Other members said the president's handwritten letter was handed over by Dr Ashraf to the registrar S Kandasamy. "The resignation will be ratified by the general council and Jayalal will be made the president. We will be facing an election in June next year and we can't afford to be seen as a punitive body," said a senior member, who refused to be named.