Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, in consultation with Medical Council of India, has recently taken more stringent steps to curb malpractices resorted to by the doctors by amending the Indian Medical Council (Professional conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, on 10.12.2009. The amendment strictly prohibits the doctors from accepting gifts, travel facilities, hospitality, cash or monetary gains or any other favour from any pharmaceutical and allied health sector industry for self or family members. If the doctors/medical practitioner is found to be guilty, the appropriate Medical Council may award such punishment as deemed necessary or may direct the removal altogether or for a specified period from the register, the name of the delinquent doctor.
As per provisions of Indian Medical Council India Act, 1956, Medical Council of India, with the previous sanction of the Government, may amend the Medical Ethics Regulations.
This information was given by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Mr Dinesh Trivedi in written reply to a question raised in Lok Sabha on Friday.
The reported move appears to be targeted at the entire lot of private medical practitioners and the top levels of the central and state govt/municipal corporation/ESIC doctors, especially those who are essentially more equal than the others in the govt. service and who are permitted to openly engage in private practice. But there still are a very large number of doctors in the CGHS dispensaries, with good qualification, experience, and expertise who not only cannot but do not accept any such gifts. At least those expensive gifts costing thousands of rupees including foreign trips, etc. It is for such dedicated doctors that the vast majority of retired and serving govt employees and commoners still get some treatment. True, there are too many black sheep in them too-especially in Delhi and Calcutta- but in Chennai particularly and a few dispensaries the doctors and the staff are exceptions.
Why bother, Mr. Sachin Patel? Do you think our doctors will pay heed to these mandates and care two hoots? They will continue to be as blood sucking and greedy as they are and have been. And the drug manufacturers will start paying them by transfers to numbered accounts in tax havens instead!
These prohibitions are just meant to be exhibited and most derisively ignored. Money is sweeter than honey-certainly than human lives.
To have a further clear idea on this regulation , i want to know whether the doctors can accept promotional material with product name on it of phamrma company?