The National Medical Commission (NMC) has published a draft of the regulations it proposes for the professional conduct of doctors and invited comments by June 22. Chapters 2 to 6 deal with the professional conduct of doctors, the duties of registered medical practitioners towards their patients, the responsibilities of doctors to each other, the responsibilities of doctors to the public and allied health professionals, and professional misconduct, respectively.
Areas that need reworking
Much in these chapters is similar to the existing regulations of the erstwhile Medical Council of India. The requirement for every registered medical practitioner to maintain patient records for three years from the last consultation will be difficult to implement for most general practitioners who provide high-quality services at low prices and depend on high volumes of patients to earn a decent income. It will reduce the number of patients who can be attended to, add considerably to costs, and delay treatment. This measure is unwise and should be withdrawn. In the section on informed consent, the statement that “in an operation that may result in sterility, the consent of both husband and wife is required” is poorly thought out and must be redrafted. It is possible that the person requiring such surgery may be single. Even if the individual is married, this regulation is contrary to the principle of individual autonomy.
