Health Bulletin 20/ February/ 2025 - Video

Upholding the doctors' liability under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, the Supreme Court bench recently dismissed a review petition filed against the previous order through which the Apex Court had refused to reconsider the 1995 judgment in the case of Indian Medical Association v. VP Shantha.

In the 1995 judgment, the top court bench had held that the doctors and medical professionals come within the ambit of the Consumer Protection Act, of 1986 (as re-enacted in 2019). In the judgment, the apex court ruled that services rendered by doctors and medical practitioners are covered under the Act if they are paid services.

For aspirants seeking MBBS abroad, the Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the erstwhile Medical Council of India's (National Medical Commission - NMC) regulation which mandated further eligibility criteria of qualifying NEET to pursue MBBS in a foreign medical institution.

The NEET was made mandatory for Indian students who want to study undergraduate medical course MBBS abroad if they plan to practice in India, since 2018.

Following the circulation of CCTV videos showing pregnant women undergoing medical check-ups at a hospital in Rajkot, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has arrested two suspects from Maharashtra in connection with the incident.

The accused reportedly hacked the hospital's CCTV system and shared the footage via a Telegram channel.

A ragging incident has recently been reported from Bijapur wherein a second-year MBBS student from Anantnag, Kashmir, was subjected to brutal ragging and physical assault at Al-Ameen Medical College by seniors from the 2019 batch after a confrontation over a cricket match.

Describing the student's ordeal, the Jammu Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) who highlighted the issue by calling it a ‘deeply disturbing incident’ explained that the student was enduring the ragging for months. He was allegedly brutally beaten, humiliated, issued death threats, forced to apologise and issued warnings by his seniors.