The Hindu Business Line : Code for doctors

AFTER years of dithering, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has drawn up and published in the Official Gazette regulations governing the professional conduct, etiquette and ethics for medical practitioners. They came into force on March 11, 2002.

The Council has compensated for all the delay by making the regulations as comprehensive as possible. In fact, they can serve as a model of their kind for other professions as well.

The code lays down the principal objective of the medical profession as "service to humanity with full respect for the dignity of profession and man" (gender incorrectness here!) and calls on physicians to earn "the confidence of patients entrusted to their care, rendering to each a full measure of service and devotion." It declares the honoured ideals of the medical profession to mean that "the responsibilities of the physician extend not only to individuals but also to society."

Within this overarching doctrine, its enumeration of duties of physicians to patients, to each other, to the public and to the paramedical profession leaves nothing to be desired.

It even goes into such detail as requiring a physician "to add to the comfort of the sick by making his visits at the hour indicated to the patients." (Obviously, the MCI is aware of the irresponsible behaviour of some doctors who have no respect for their patients' time!) Its definitions of unethical acts and professional misconduct, and the punishments envisaged for them do justice to the noble precepts of the profession. And finally, the code puts the pre-condition that, at the time of registration, each physician has to make an averment solemnly promising that he will scrupulously abide by the code at all times and in letter and in spirit.

This is all to the good. But how many doctors are really aware that such a code exists? The MCI should have enough number of copies of the code printed and distributed to all hospitals and doctors. Also, the solemn averment should be brought out in attractive posters for display in each doctor's room.

Is the MCI serious about enforcement? No, say some prominent doctors themselves. Why? Because it does not have the needed powers and the will. Says the editor of Issues in Medical Ethics, Dr Sanjay Nagral: "The whole agenda of medical bodies have gone in a different direction, towards petty politicking." To show it means business, the MCI should put out frequent advertisements inviting complaints and punish deviant doctors.

B. S. Raghavan