Code of conduct for doctors announced

NEW DELHI: The Government on Saturday approved the regulations on professional conduct, etiquette and ethics for the doctors practicing allopathic medicine which termed solciting of patients through advertisements as unethical practice.

The code of conduct has termed soliciting commission or bonus by referring patients for medical, diagonistic and other treatments, dispensing medicine without knowing its composition and aid or abet human rights as unethical act, an official release said here.

The Government has also termed as misconduct if a doctor indulges in conducting sex-determination test, disclosing secrets of a patient, performing an operation with the consent of patient or relatives, issuing false certificates, absenting from the duty if posted in rural areas.

The Government also decided to restain a physician from performing any practice in case of complaints to Indian Council of Medical Research besides judging incompetency by a peer group, the release said.

It said the doctors must also continuously update himself with the developments in the medicine field, shall maintain medical records of his or her indoor patients for three years, request for medical record by patients shall be issued within 72 hours, must expose unethical conduct on the part of members of the profession and should also display registration number, fees and other charges on the board of his chamber, the release said.