Babu K.V., a medical professional and a ‘whistle-blower,’ has written to Health Minister K.K. Shylaja seeking action against the Travancore Cochin Medical Council (TCMC) for the council’s inaction over the past three years in a complaint he had filed against certain doctors who had violated the provisions of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, by advertising themselves.
Dr. Babu had in December 2013 put up a complaint before the TCMC seeking action against four doctors whose pictures and professional achievements had been highlighted in the advertisement of a prominent Kochi hospital in newspapers. He pointed out that the doctors were violating the MCI’s Code of Ethics (clause 7.11) by advertising for the hospital. He also pointed out that there was the precedent of the MCI taking action against two doctors in Haryana in 2013 itself by removing their names from the Indian Medical Register and the State Medical Register for 15 days for using their names and photographs to advertise for a hospital.
The term of the members of the current State Council ends in November. Yet, the TCMC had done nothing about the complaint he had filed three years ago, Dr. Babu said.
“The MCI’s Code of Ethics, clause 8.4, says the State council should take a decision on the complaint against a physician within six months. Despite several communications in these last three years the TCMC has not even given me a reply regarding the complaint I filed. The government should check with the council how many complaints against physicians they have received from patients in these past five years and whether they had taken any action in these complaints,” he told The Hindu .
‘No intervention’
B. Ekbal, neurosurgeon and public health activist and member, State Planning Board, said the TCMC had never intervened to uphold ethical practices in medical profession. Despite several attempts, TCMC president Rani Nayar was unavailable for comment.
Babu K.V. writes to Health Minister seeking action against TCMC
Rules stipulate that decision on complaint should be taken in 6 months