BENGALURU: The Karnataka Medical Council, which receives complaints from aggrieved patients on medical negligence, misconduct and related issues, has registered 338 cases in the last six years (2014-2019).
However, of these, only 16 doctors have been removed from KMC registry for a certain duration awaiting judgement. As many as 53 doctors were found guilty and were subsequently let off with a warning.
“Doctors are not protected from removal. In most cases, patients misunderstand and think that there has been medical negligence. As they do not understand medical language, their arguments do not stand legal scrutiny. In cases of removal of doctors from the registry, the period can vary between a few months to two years. During this time, they are not allowed to practice.They can challenge the judgement too by taking it forward to Medical Council of India,” said Dr H Veerabhadrappa, President of KMC.
“Warnings are given in cases where negligence is small such as incorrect dosage or improper disability assessment when patients seek disability certificate,” he added.
The number of cases registered have also come down as per the statistics. While 76 cases were registered in 2014, only 44 cases were registered in 2019.
As per the council, as many as 72 doctors have not responded to notices sent by the council, postponing the resolution of the complaint.About 23 cases were withdrawn by the complainants and 49 patients did not show up for hearings for their own complaints.