Medical Council notice to 2 doctors for advertising their expertise on hoardings

Thane: Taking action against unethical advertisement, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has sought clarification from two senior Thane-based doctors attached to a renowned hospital.

The Council has issued notice to these doctors after taking note of the fact that they were involved in the advertising their expertise on hoardings, adds TOI.

Issuing notice to the doctors, the Council on November 14 said that the doctors 'were involved in unethical advertisements through hoardings'. They have been directed to submit their written explanations regarding this issue within 15 days to the State Medical Council.

As per the Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002, advertisement by doctors is not allowed. Section 6.1.1 of Chapter 6 States, "Soliciting of patients directly or indirectly, by a physician, by a group of physicians or by institutions or organisations is unethical. 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 which is of such a character as to invite attention to him or to his professional position, skill, qualification, achievements, attainments, specialities, appointments, associations, affiliations or honours and/or of such character as would ordinarily result in his self aggrandizement..."

Regarding the issue of publishing photographs, the Regulations mention-

"6.1.2 Printing of self photograph, or any such material of publicity in the letter head or on sign board of the consulting room or any such clinical establishment shall be regarded as acts of self advertisement and unethical conduct on the part of the physician. However, printing of sketches, diagrams, picture of human system shall not be treated as unethical."

Also Read: Medical Council warns Tamil Nadu doctors against Revealing name, identities of patients

As per the latest media report by the Times of India, a Thane-based activist had last month written to MMC to point out that two doctors had displayed their photographs on hoardings erection at various locations in Thane. The hoardings displaying photographs of these doctors was advertised by a renowned hospital functioning in Thane for the last several years.

Taking note of this matter, the MMC has now issued notice to these doctors and asked them to submit their written explanations within 15 days.

While commenting on the matter, Sandip Pachange, city youth wing president of the MNS that approached the MMC told TOI, "Doctors are not allowed to advertise themselves nor be part of any promotional and publicity matter. The hospital seems to have exploited the goodwill of doctors for their personal benefit and promoting themselves. I wanted more clarity on the issue as in the future other hospitals could take this as a precedent and start using photos of doctors on their publicity material."

"Doctors can't promote themselves and also cannot use their pictures for any publicity material. It could be possible the corporate hospital that they are working for may have used their images without their knowledge but the professionals will have to now present their version," said Dr Deepak Baid, past president of Association of Medical Consultants (AMC), Mumbai.

Meanwhile, the doctor's fraternity has justified that the Council could issue them notices and thereafter a hearing of both the parties could have been conducted. Although it is not the first time that the doctors have been featured on promotional matter, there isn't much information available about the directives issued by the council in the previous cases.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that earlier this year Uttarakhand Medical Council (UKMC) had issued notices to 41 doctors who allegedly violated the 'Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulations, 2002' of the Council by getting involved in the practice of publishing photographs of doctors in the advertisements.

Apart from this, the Council had also warned the doctors against using unnecessary claims regarding their degrees on the advertisements and hoardings, which might result in misleading the public.

Also Read: 41 Doctors get Medical Council Rap for Photographs, claims in Advertisements