'NITI Aayog panel ignored medical ethics'

The NITI Aayog panel on reforming the Medical Council of India (MCI) has completely ignored medical ethics among its reform measures, said a group of medical professionals.  

The committee was set up following the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on health,  which proposed overhauling the cash-rich medical education system due to the MCI’s abject failure.

The House panel suggested setting up a Board of Medical Ethics, whose job would be to ensure that doctors follow ethical norms while treating
patients.

Earlier this month, the NITI Aayog panel came out with a report and proposed establishing a National Medical Commission with four independent boards.
One of the tasks of one of the boards would be to monitor whether doctors are following the ethical practices.

This has come under sharp criticism from a group of medical practitioners and non-governmental organisations working in the public health sector.

“Overall, the protection of patients and the need for a strong clampdown on widespread unethical practices is clearly not a priority in the report and the (proposed) bill and related provisions are very week,” the Alliance of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare, a group of doctors promoting ethical healthcare and corruption-free medical service, said in a statement. When the Parliamentary panel was hearing the doctors, medical associations, NGOs and professional bodies, several witnesses told the lawmakers about rampant unethical practices in the medical profession with the MCI turning a blind eye to the faulty doctors.

The panel noted how kickbacks and corrupt practices are ruining the doctor-patient relationship and how doctors face pressure from the hospital management to over-prescribe surgeries or investigations, which lead to physical and financial problems for patients.