Can doctors be allowed to put professional logos, stickers on vehicles? HC asks NMC, state medical council
Madras High Court
Chennai: Granting interim relief, the Madras High Court has directed the police not to take any action against the doctors for displaying their professional logo or stickers on private vehicles. Further, the HC bench has impleaded the National Medical Commission (NMC) in the matter and asked why the NMC should not provide authorised vehicle stickers to medical practitioners. The Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has also been impleaded by the Court in this connection.
The HC bench of Justice PB Balaji was considering a plea filed by the Doctors Welfare Association. In their plea before the High Court, the association sought an exemption from the police action on doctors for putting stickers on their vehicles.
As per the latest media report by the Times of India, the plea filed before the HC stated that the doctors do not misuse the stickers. It also highlighted that doctors have a hard time while travelling to travel emergency cases without the stickers on the vehicles, since the practice of unauthorised stickers on the vehicles has been barred by the Tamil Nadu Police.
On the other hand, the counsel for the Government submitted a counter complying with the High Court's directions and submitted that the High Court already had directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to prohibit the misuse of stickers, logos, and emblems on private vehicles.
At this outset, the HC bench intervened and the Judge observed that the police could not take action against genuine persons. It further noted that since the doctors are duty-bound to work on medical emergencies at any time, they could be allowed to display their professional symbols or stickers on their private vehicles, reports DT Next.
While considering the matter recently, the HC bench barred the traffic police from initiating action on doctors' vehicles with stickers until NMC and Tamil Nadu Medical Council submitted their response.
It observed that the NMC and State medical council should frame a policy for issuing authorized stickers and logos to the doctors following the example of the Bar Council, which also issues authorized stickers to the enrolled advocates. The Court reasoned that by providing the doctors with such authorised stickers, doctors will not face any police action for using the unauthorised stickers.
However, the Court clarified that such stickers should have been properly stuck on the front and rear side of the vehicle and especially not on the number plate. Further, the Court opined that the police should stop and check suspicious vehicles with doctor stickers and initiate action for misuse of such stickers.
The counsel for the petitioner, S Sathish argued that the doctors were not pasting such stickers on the number plates, but only on the windshield of the vehicle. He stated that this will ultimately help the general public, as the doctors would be able to render medical service to the people requiring treatment.
The matter has been listed for further hearing on June 14, 2024.
