The Hindu : New Delhi News : DMC sees code violation in doctors’ ad

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Sunday, Apr 13, 2008
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DMC sees code violation in doctors’ ad

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Delhi Medical Council asks its ethics committee to take a fresh look at the issue

Warnings issued to three Delhi doctors recently
"Ad will affect doctor-patient relationship"

NEW DELHI: Alarmed over several doctors in the Capital blatantly violating the Code of Ethics of the Medical Council of India (MCI) that does not allow doctors to advertise, the Delhi Medical Council has instructed its ethics committee to take a fresh look at the Code in an effort to reinforce the laws.

Only recently the Council had issued warnings to three Delhi doctors who were found to be indulging in deliberate violation of the rule.

“We have issued warnings to three city doctors who we found were violating the Code of Ethics by advertising. This is unacceptable. After the matter was brought to our notice we issued strict warnings to three physicians asking them to withdraw their advertisements and stop doing it,” said Delhi Medical Council secretary Girish Tyagi. He said it was a rampant violation of MCI’s Code of Ethics which made the Council sit up and take note. “Though we understand that doctors work amid fierce competition, we cannot ignore the existing rules. MCI does not allow any person to advertise. Currently whenever a violation is detected we issue a warning and in case that does not work the registration of the doctor is temporarily cancelled from the Council,” added Dr. Tyagi.

“Allowing doctors and institutions to advertise will result in a few rich and influential ones taking all the publicity. It will, we fear, also adversely affect the dynamics of the doctor-patient relationship, acquiring shades of being a business man-customer type relationship. Also there is no way to regulate doctors/institutions making false claims. Patients in India have to be taught that when they go by an advertisement they have to be invariably on their guard. It is also important to remember that advertisement money too often comes from the patient’s pocket. We welcome the latest move by the DMC and hope that we will be able to clear out the ambiguities in the implementation of the rule,” said a member of DMC.

Finance secretary of the Indian Medical Association, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal, demanded either a total ban or complete removal of the “no advertising” code for doctors.

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