Dr Kirit Somaiya recommends cancellation of birth certificates issued after one year

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

BJP leader Dr Kirit Somaiya raised an objection to the issuance of birth certificates in bulk at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

He pointed out that hospitals cannot issue birth certificates for children over one year of age. In such cases, a petition must be filed in court to obtain a legal birth certificate. Therefore, he demanded that GMCH cancel all such improperly issued certificates, and the officials who issued them must take responsibility for rectifying the records. These cases should undergo re-registration through a separate dedicated cell, given the scale of the irregularities, he said.

It may be noted that in the last 17 months, the GMCH had issued 4,967 birth certificates for children older than one year, which is against legal procedures. To review the issue, Somaiya visited GMCH on Wednesday, inspecting the records section and later holding discussions with hospital authorities at the Dean’s office.

The key officials present during the meeting included Dr. Shilpa Domkundwar (Joint Director), Dr. Shrinivas Gadappa (Acting Dean), Dr. Gayatri Tadwalkar (Medical Superintendent), Dr. Sudhir Chaudhary, Dr. Suresh Harbade, Dr. Mirza Shiraz Baig and Dr. Prasad Deshpande.

The hospital administration assured Dr Somaiya that moving forward, birth certificates would be issued immediately after birth in the mother’s name, and later, a certificate could be obtained in the child's name if needed.

Remove Clerk’s Mobile Number

During his inspection of the record section Somaiya was informed that in the online birth certificate application process, the clerk’s mobile number was being entered instead of the applicant’s. He objected to this practice and recommended that the Medical Superintendent’s number should be used instead, not the clerk's. He personally reviewed how the birth certificate registration process is handled.

"I’m a Doctor of Finance"

Somaiya emphasized the legal protocol for birth certificate applications. He said, “ An application must be submitted within 21 days of the child’s birth. For applications between 21 and 365 days, the hospital can issue a certificate after verifying documents like the Aadhaar card and discharge summary.”

He stressed that strict verification is essential due to national security concerns, citing threats like terrorism and illegal immigration from Bangladesh.

The BJP leader reiterated his demand that all birth certificates issued for children over one year of age must be cancelled. Besides, the relatives of those affected should be formally notified about the cancellation.

While interacting with doctors, Dr. Somaiya humourously remarked, “I’m a doctor of finance.”