The Hindu Business Line : Lesson for India

THE Guardian has come out with the disturbing report that at least three million of the UK's population of 60 million are in the care of doctors who "are not fit to practise, are incompetent or just not good enough at the job", for reasons such as failure to be abreast of advances in the field, decline in skills, indifference to the patients seeking their help, and inability or unwillingness to communicate their diagnosis properly and clearly.

The percentage of such dubious doctors varies: The former president of the General Medical Council (GMC), Sir Donald Irvine puts it at an admittedly conservative five per cent of the roughly 230,000 doctors on the GMC register, while the country's Chief Medical Officer estimated it in 2001 to be 6 per cent among hospital doctors, and the Royal College of General Practitioners felt that it could be as high as 15 per cent of the general practitioners.

The Guardian report has further disclosed that in 2003, 142 doctors were erased from the register, including 85 voluntary erasures, and 18 doctors whose cases had been heard in previous years. There were 83 suspensions and 130 doctors had conditions put on their registration. That year there were 3,962 new complaints. "People believe they should have a good doctor — it shouldn't be left to chance," Sir Donald told The Guardian.

"The poorly performing doctor does not quite know what he is doing scientifically or talk to his patients properly. He makes avoidable mistakes because he is not up to date...Good communication is just as important as being able to take the blood pressure... Some doctors think it is an option".

Sir Donald, during his tenure as the President of the GMC, had made it mandatory for all doctors to undergo a five yearly check on their fitness to practise, and obtain a revalidation of their qualifications.

The system is still notionally in place, although doubts about its strict implementation had surfaced lately. Mounting public pressure has now forced the Government to declare that it will make the revalidation process robust and rigorous as was originally intended.

It is high time in India too, the Government and the Medical Council showed the same accountability to the patients, introducing a similar five yearly check on the fitness of the medical practitioners.

B. S. RAGHAVAN

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