JnK Medical Council issues directives to curb Unethical Practices, Promotes QR code verification

Srinagar: To combat unethical practices and quackery, the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council has mandated that all doctors must include their registration numbers, names, signatures, and the recently issued QR code from their permanent registration certificates on prescription pads, along with a series of other directives to ensure transparency and authenticity.

Issuing a notice on December 2 in this regard, the council stated that all registered doctors, whether in the government or private sector, should use their registration number issued by J&K Medical Council. It asked all the doctors registered with J&K Medical Council to follow the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 emphasizing the need to adhere strictly to ethical medical practices and regulations.

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According to the council, doctors in government hospitals and health centres must sign all prescriptions and documents with their name, designation, registration number, and the date and time. Similarly, it also encouraged the doctors to put the QR Code issued lately on permanent registration certificates, on their prescription pads so that patients can verify the credentials of the consulting doctor registered with J&K Medical Council.

"The doctors working in government hospitals/ health centres shall mandatorily put his/her sign, name, designation and registration number issued by J&K Medical Council along with date & time on all prescriptions in OPDs, Clinical Notes on Patient Case Records/ Sheets, investigation reports, medical certificates and all documents wherever required as a government doctor while dealing in patient care as a responsible registered doctor," reads the notice.

Registered medical practitioners in the state should display the legally attested copies of registered qualifications (including degree/diploma of specialty) and permanent registration certificate issued by the J&K Medical Council at their place of private practice.

Doctors must use their J&K Medical Council registration number and registered medical qualifications on prescriptions, seals, and letter pads. They are permitted to practice only in specialities for which they are qualified and registered with the Council.

Further, the notice mentioned that "The doctors working in the private sector including nursing homes, hospitals, private clinics (single practitioner clinic/ poly-clinics), Infertility centres/clinics, rehabilitation centres, de-addiction centres/ clinics, hospices, domiciliary care providers, mobile clinics, medical camp service providers, voluntary service providers and all clinical consultation places/ establishments where clinical consultation is provided by allopathic medical practitioners in Jammu and Kashmir that they shall display in printed form his/her name, recognized qualifications, honours (if any) which confer professional knowledge or recognizes any exemplary qualification/achievements, specialty (wherever applicable) and registration number issued by J&K Medical Council on all prescriptions, certificates, money receipts given to his/her patients.

He/she shall mandatorily put his/her sign, name, designation and registration number issued by J&K Medical Council along with date & time on all prescriptions in OPDs, Clinical Notes on Patient Case Records/ Sheets, investigation reports, medical certificates and all documents wherever required."

The council issued a warning that if any doctor failed to comply with these regulations violating the provisions of regulation 1.4.2. of Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, then he or she will be subject to disciplinary action.

"It is our utmost responsibility as a regulatory body while ensuring that the patients are rightly treated by registered qualified doctors, there is utmost need to stop unethical practices and quackery/ impersonation wherein unqualified persons trap the over-trusting patients, violates their rights and indulge in unauthorized practices and bring bad name to medical professionalism," said the council in the notice.

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