Upto 3 Months Jail, Rs 10,000 Fine for Insulting Doctors on Social Media: Karnataka Govt Bill

Bengaluru: Persons causing "intentional insult" to doctors either directly or indirectly through social media will now face penalty in Karnataka as the State Legislative Assembly has now passed the Karnataka Medical Registration and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill 2024.

As per the new amendments introduced by the Government, anyone found guilty of insulting a doctor directly, on social media or using unauthorised audio and video will be punished with a jail term extending up to three months or with a fine extending up to Rupees 10 thousand.

Defining "Intentional Insult", the new Bill states that "Intentional Insult" means, "use of words, figures or gestures with an intention to insult, humiliate, disgrace, annoy or abuse a medicare service personnel either directly addressed to him or through social media or through unauthorised audio and video recording and photographing in connection with his professional duty."

This amendment has been introduced to the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Medicare Service Personnel and Damage to Property in Medicare Service Institutions Act, 2009 (Karnataka Act 01 of 2009).

The Amendment Bill further stated, "3A. Prohibition of Intentional insult.- Any intentional insult of medicare service personnel in a medicare service institution is prohibited."

Specifying the penalty for violation of the rules, the Bill added, "Any person who commits any act in contravention of section 3A, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to rupees ten thousand."

Publication of list of practitioners:

Apart from this, the Amendment further mentioned that the Registrar of the Medical Council shall maintain a dynamic online as well as physical list of the medical practitioners updated on a daily basis on the official website and inform the National Medical Commission. It added that this list shall also be the electoral list for all elections as may be prescribed

"A certified copy of the list published under sub-section (1) shall be evidence in all Courts and in judicial or quail-judicial proceedings that the persons therein specified are registered according to the provisions of this Act," it added.

Penalties for Quackery: 

Apart from this, the State Government has also prescribed strict penalties for quackery. It has specified that anyone found guilty of pretending to be a registered medical practitioner under this Act shall be convicted with a fine extending up to Rs 1 lakh.

"Whoever falsely pretends to be registered under this Act or not being registered under this Act uses in connection with his name or title any words or letters representing that he is so registered shall, whether any person is actually deceived by such pretence or representation or not, be punished in the case of a first conviction with fine which extend ten thousand rupees and in the case of subsequent conviction with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees," it mentioned.

To view the Bill, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/karnataka-bill-245311.pdf

Also Read: Gujarat: RMO arrested for defaming UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre on social media