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Doctors should not fear Consumer Act: Bannurmath

Photo: Vipin Chandran

PRESTIGIOUS MEET: Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court S. R. Bannurmath arriving to inaugurate the 34th annual conference of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India in the city on Thursday. —

KOCHI: Doctors need not feel victimised with the medical services brought under the Consumer Protection Act, said S. R. Bannurmath, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

Giving the inaugural address at the 34th annual conference of Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India and the first joint meeting with British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons here on Thursday, Mr. Bannurmath said that doctors have a professional obligation to protect life and the profession has to acquire such a skill for care. Only the breach of duty in providing such care shifts the burden of a case on the doctor.

With skills of doctors differing from person to person, failure of operation or side effects of medicines cannot be held against the doctor per se. However, if the negligence of the doctor is proved beyond doubt, the case would stand to protect the patient, said the Chief Justice.

He said the patient-doctor relationship had to be viewed under the Consumer Protection Act because of the changed relationship. The doctors believe that bringing their services under the Act is a dampener, but doctors who adhere to ethical practices need not fear it, said Mr. Bannurmath.

He said that the doctors need to circulate do’s and don’ts in each branch of medicine. This would help the professional in avoiding unnecessary legal issues, he said.

At the conference, Rajan Gunaseelan, president of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons, presided. Barry T. Evans, president of the British Association addressed the gathering and also released a book on ‘Surgical Correction of Facial Deformities’ by Dr. Varghese Mani, who is also the patron of the Conference committee.

Another book ‘A Practical Guide to the Management of Impacted Teeth’, authored by Dr. George Varghese, organising secretary of the conference was released by Nabil Samman, president, International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

S. Prabu, secretary, Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India, spoke on the occasion. Earlier, J. I. Chacko, chairman of the Organising Committee, welcomed the gathering. T. R. Anil Kumar, treasurer of the organising committee, read out the messages.

Nearly 1,300 delegates from the country and abroad are attending the conference which will be on till November 28. The conference will discuss the latest trends in the management of oral cancer, treatment of developmental and acquired diseases of the face and mouth, current trends in the management of facial injuries, and advances in oral implantology. Over 700 scientific papers will be presented by experts in the field as well as trainees from India and abroad, said Dr T. R. Anil Kumar, an office-bearer of the organising committee here.

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