The Medical Council of India (MCI) has received 2,295 complaints against doctors for violating the code of ethics since 2009.
During the period, the registrations of 29 doctors were temporarily suspended.
According to data available with ‘Express’, the MCI received 702 complaints against doctors from across the country in 2011-12. Subsequently, registration was temporarily suspended regarding three complaints, warning has been given to one doctor and seven complaints are under the consideration of the council. As many as 343 complaints were referred to the state medical councils or the state governments.
In 2010-11, the MCI got 824 complaints against doctors and registrations of doctors were temporarily suspended in 10 cases. While 468 cases were referred to respective state governments, warning was issued in four cases and six cases are under MCI’s scanner.
The MCI, which regulates the professional conduct of doctors under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, received 769 complaints and registrations of doctors were temporarily suspended in 16 cases. Warning was given in six cases and a total of 254 cases were referred to the state governments.
The MCI amended the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations in 2009 for punishment of doctors for nexus with pharmaceutical industry and prohibited doctors from accepting gifts, travel facilities, hospitality, and monetary grants from the healthcare industry either in their name or in the names of their family members.
The modified code also bars the doctors and their family members from accepting rail or air travel facilities, cruise tickets and paid vacations or any hospitality from the industry.
Further under clause 6.8.1 (h) or the modified code, it has been laid down that, “A medical practitioner shall not endorse any drug or product of the industry publicly.
Any study conducted on the efficacy or otherwise of such products shall be presented to and/or appropriate scientific bodies or published in appropriate journals in a proper way”.