Eleven doctors censured for medical council rule violation
They featured in an advertisement of a corporate hospital
30/01/2020, C. MAYA,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The Travancore Cochin Council of Modern Medicine (TCMC) has censured 11 doctors registered under it for violating the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 by allowing themselves to be featured prominently in the advertisement of a corporate hospital.
The incident is said to be unprecedented in the history of the TCMC.
It was in May last year that Aster MIMS, Kozhikode, brought out a newspaper advertisement prominently featuring some of its doctors.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Registrar of the TCMC for “appropriate action” by K.V. Babu, a Kerala-based physician and public health activist.
Against Code of Ethics
Dr. Babu had taken exception to the advertisement featuring the doctors because Section 6.1 of the Code of Ethics states that “...a physician shall not make use of him/her (or his/her name) as subject of any form or manner of advertising or publicity through any mode either alone or in conjunction with others... as to invite attention to him or to his professional position, skill, qualification...”
Moreover, the TCMC itself had in 2018 brought out a circular that the council will be forced to take suo motu action against doctors if, in violation of the Code of Ethics, they display their photographs in any hospital bill board or advertisement.
Following Dr. Babu’s complaint, the Ethics Committee of the TCMC had sought an explanation from the doctors.
‘Used without consent’
The doctors, while apologising for the ethics violation, said their names and photographs had been used by the hospital without their knowledge or consent. Following the recommendation of the ethics committee, the TCMC has now closed the matter after issuing a censure notice to all 11 doctors.
“I am happy that the council took cognisance of the complaint and has exercised its powers properly by censuring the doctors. The Code of Ethics is binding on the doctors alone and not hospitals,” Dr. Babu said.
They featured in an advertisement of a corporate hospital
30/01/2020, C. MAYA,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The Travancore Cochin Council of Modern Medicine (TCMC) has censured 11 doctors registered under it for violating the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 by allowing themselves to be featured prominently in the advertisement of a corporate hospital.
The incident is said to be unprecedented in the history of the TCMC.
It was in May last year that Aster MIMS, Kozhikode, brought out a newspaper advertisement prominently featuring some of its doctors.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Registrar of the TCMC for “appropriate action” by K.V. Babu, a Kerala-based physician and public health activist.
Against Code of Ethics
Dr. Babu had taken exception to the advertisement featuring the doctors because Section 6.1 of the Code of Ethics states that “...a physician shall not make use of him/her (or his/her name) as subject of any form or manner of advertising or publicity through any mode either alone or in conjunction with others... as to invite attention to him or to his professional position, skill, qualification...”
Moreover, the TCMC itself had in 2018 brought out a circular that the council will be forced to take suo motu action against doctors if, in violation of the Code of Ethics, they display their photographs in any hospital bill board or advertisement.
Following Dr. Babu’s complaint, the Ethics Committee of the TCMC had sought an explanation from the doctors.
‘Used without consent’
The doctors, while apologising for the ethics violation, said their names and photographs had been used by the hospital without their knowledge or consent. Following the recommendation of the ethics committee, the TCMC has now closed the matter after issuing a censure notice to all 11 doctors.
“I am happy that the council took cognisance of the complaint and has exercised its powers properly by censuring the doctors. The Code of Ethics is binding on the doctors alone and not hospitals,” Dr. Babu said.
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