Health Bulletin 1/February/2023

Here are the top health stories for the day:

Fee refund for those who quit MBBS/BDS seats in round 1

Tution fees of over 6000 candidates who had either “upgraded” or quit their seats in round 1 during the MBBS/BDS admission process will be refunded by the directorate of medical education. The refund process for postgraduate students has already begun.

Unconstitutional to prescribe different qualifications for doctors to provide services in rural and urban areas: Supreme Court

In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court stated that any variation in the standards of the required qualifications for medical practitioners who serve in the rural areas with those providing services in urban and metropolitan areas violates the constitutional values of substantive equality and non-discrimination.

"While the State has every right to devise policies for public health and medical education, with due regard to peculiar social and financial considerations, these policies ought not to cause unfair disadvantage to any class of citizens. The citizens residing in rural areas have an equal right to access healthcare services, by duly qualified staff. Policies for enhancing access to rural healthcare must not shortchange the citizens residing in rural areas or subject them to direct or indirect forms of unfair discrimination on the basis of their place of birth or residence," observed the Apex Court bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and BV Nagarathna as it dismissed the Assam Rural Health Regulatory Authority Act, 2004.

For more details, check out the link given below:

Unconstitutional To Prescribe Different Qualifications For Doctors To Provide Services In Rural And Urban Areas: Supreme Court

Teen dies during operation in Delhi, family says organs stolen

The family of a 15-year-old girl, who died two days after getting operated at a Delhi hospital, have alleged that hospital authorities had removed her organs. The family further alleged that after an operation of appendicitis at a hospital, in which she died, plastic bags, used for collecting urine, were found in her stomach area.

No Negligence but hospital, doctor slapped compensation for non-maintenance of medical records

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) recently directed a Visakhapatnam based hospital and its doctor to pay Rs 1 lakh to a patient for non-maintenance of medical record.

Although the top consumer court held that there was no medical negligence by the doctor and the hospital while providing treatment to the patient for Ano-rectal abscess, it noted that the case sheet of the treatment procedure was not maintained.

For more details, check out the link given below:

No Negligence But Hospital, Doctor Slapped Compensation For Non-Maintenance Of Medical Records