Claims of 'rare' proceddures and false promises a growing trend among doctors

With the fight for medical seats in the country getting tougher – through the introduction of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) – the respect and sympathy for doctors in their struggle have grown. Anitha’s suicide, which came as a great shock, however, was a sure sign of the strong desire among many, to fulfil their dreams of serving society in a white coat.

Even though the profession commands top slot and is highly regarded, there is growing apprehension that these selfless workers in white coats have also been straying away from the oath they had taken, of placing their patients above everything else. Although the state is known as the hub for medical tourism, medical ethics, as per the Medical Council of India (MCI), is being flouted by doctors, especially with regard to advertising (themselves). One example cited by experts is the case of ‘rare surgeries’ -the common term used—and how doctors are constantly defying the Council’s rules.

In one such incident that took place four years ago, Janakiraman, a farmer from Tiruvannamalai, took his 20-year-old son (five years ago) to consult a doctor at a private hospital, for the treatment of his legs. Post a surgery (which he was initially told would cost Rs 40,000 to 50,000) the doctor had promised him that his son would be better within six months. Four years later, and after spending over Rs 4 lakh for the treatment, the youth’s condition only worsened. “We had seen an advertisement in two newspapers talking about the doctor and his qualifications, boasting of his ability to administer great treatment at cheaper prices. Prior to the surgery, my son could at least bend his knee. However, he is unable to do so now,” said Janakiraman, who approached the Thousand Lights police station last week, to file a petition demanding action against the doctor.

Stating that hospitals are only allowed to talk about the facilities they have to make the public aware, Dr Brahmanandan, Vice President of Medical Council of India, said, “Advertising by doctors or hospitals is unethical and frowned upon. Doctors cannot make use of a ‘rare’ surgery they performed, to project themselves. If such unethical practices are seen, they should be brought to the notice of the MCI immediately and necessary action will be taken.”

The state has been seeing many such cases. “Last year, the founder of a private hospital was pulled up for having put up a board advertising the hospital, along with his photograph. We sent him a warning notice, and demanded that he take down the photograph, and he complied. If doctors and hospitals fail to comply after receiving a warning, we take action against them, which could amount to their licence being cancelled as well,” said Dr J A Jayalal, former vice-president, Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC). In another case, a city cosmetologist was suspended for six months for advertising himself in a magazine. “The doctor had also put up many advertisements in hair salons, which is against the Council rules,” said a TNMC source.

Apart from newspapers and advertisement boards, radio stations are also found to be a great platform for doctors to attract listeners. “If the doctor is trying to attract the attention of patients to his clinic through the airtime on the channel, that is unethical. The discussion should never be about the personal identity of the doctor, but should be about conveying information. If he talks more about what he is doing, his achievements and qualifications, that is unacceptable. We received such a complaint from a doctor at an infertility centre. We invited him for a discussion,” added Dr Jayalal.

Stating that what is being done is ‘unethical’, a private hospital doctor said, “We see such immoral practices every day. Invalid promises of favourable outcomes, unfounded claims of cure, exaggeration of end results, and misinformation about competitive superiority, are to be categorically condemned. Often, the advertisements say that this treatment is ‘the best’ or ‘one-of-its-kind’ or ‘the first in the country’. How is the public supposed to verify that claim?”

While advertisements are considered unethical, practising in the country with a foreign degree is also frowned upon. “A doctor from the state had done his MD in Russia, which is equivalent to an MBBS here. After finishing basic Medical Science, he performed orthopaedic surgery in Chennai, which is against the Tamil Nadu Medical Council’s (TNMC) principles. For over a month, he was detained by the Council,” said Dr G R Ravindranath, General Secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (DASE).

According to the TNMC, government hospital doctors practising in private clinics is not considered unethical, but doing so during duty hours is not acceptable. “While there have been many cases of doctors being pulled up for the same, it is not necessarily brought to the Council, but is taken up by the hospitals themselves. As per the Tamil Nadu doctors’ code of ethics, they are permitted to practise outside as well,” added Dr Jayalal.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has clear guidelines for doctors.