The Medical Council of India’s recent decision to curtail its own authority in governing the ethical conduct of doctors’ associations has received severe flak from NGOs.
Several NGOs working towards social and health rights have collectively written to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, terming the move “nothing short of being grossly irresponsible.”
On February 18 the MCI had, in a much criticised move, decided to “reinterpret” the Code of Medical Ethics Regulation 2002 clauses to exclude doctors’ associations from under its ambit.
Different rules This clause (6.8) governs the relationships of doctors, individuals as well as group of doctors, with the pharmaceutical and allied health sector. Under this, doctors are prohibited from receiving any gifts or cash from pharmaceutical companies or endorsing any medical products and also from receiving other benefits from such entities. However, in the meeting held on February 18, the Executive Committee of the MCI decided to remove the term “associations of doctors” from the clause, in effect making different rules for individual doctors and a group of doctors.
The organisations have urged the Minister to “prevent the proposed misinterpretation of clause 6.8 of MCI regulation.” “We cannot conceive how an action that is ethically impermissible for an individual doctor can become permissible if a group of doctors carry out the same action in form of an association.”