Health Bulletin 19/June/2025

The Kerala High Court recently expressed concern over the absence of any guidelines for expert committees that consider medical negligence cases.

After taking note of the submission of Learned ADGP in this regard, the HC bench comprising Justice V.G. Arun opined that due to the absence of such guidelines, the doctors do not get a fair trial and an opportunity to defend themselves.

The Court appointed an Amicus Curiae to assist the Court and asked the counsel for the petitioners, as well as the ADGP, to make their suggestions as to how the guidelines are to be formulated.

Accordingly, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on July 14, 2025.

The West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday passed the West Bengal Clinical Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aiming to bring more transparency in billing by private hospitals. The bill mandates that all hospitals prominently display fixed rates and package charges at a conspicuous place within the facility.

The bill, which got the house's nod on the seventh day of the ongoing Monsoon Session, will now go to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose for assent before it becomes a law, news agency IANS reported.

As the Bill was presented in the house, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, participating in the debate, claimed that the issue of the safety of the female doctors, female nurses, female patients and female security staff had not been addressed in the said bill.

The proposed legislation mandates that all clinical establishments must “prominently display fixed rates and package charges at a conspicuous place within the facility” and “maintain electronic medical records for each patient through approved software.” The Bill is still under review and has not yet been admitted by Speaker Biman Banerjee for debate or passage, reports PTI.

Around 100 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Rajasthan are facing problems in getting enrolled in the mandatory internship program due to stipend-related issues and a limited number of internship seats.

These medical graduates from abroad are set to join their mandatory internship programmes at ESIC Medical College, Alwar. However, their future remains uncertain due to technical and administrative hurdles, TOI has reported.

It has been almost five months since the Rajasthan Medical Council (RMC) allocated internship positions to the FMGs after they cleared the screening test, i.e., Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE).

However, these medical graduates from abroad are still waiting to commence their mandatory clinical training, without which they will not be able to get registered as doctors in India.

Renowned Pulmonologist, Dr Bharat Gopal, has recently joined Medanta Hospital in Gurugram as the Senior Director- Interventional Pulmonology in the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine.

With over 25 years of experience, Dr Gopal is widely recognised both nationally and internationally as the leading expert in Respiratory Medicine, Critical Care, and Interventional Pulmonology. He has been a pioneer in introducing advanced technologies like Endobronchial Ultrasound, Cryo-Lung Biopsies and Pleuroscopies.

Dr Gopal carries over two decades of clinical excellence in the field of Respiratory disorders, Nasobronchial Allergies, sleep-disordered Breathing & Respiratory Infections, including TB and COVID. Over the years, he has treated thousands of patients suffering from severe bronchial asthma, COPD, lung fibrosis, including HSP, and other chest infections. He has also played an active role in training doctors across the country and contributed significantly to national clinical guidelines.