Advertisement norms for doctors, corporate hospitals can't be different, says NMC panel

New Delhi: An internal panel formed by the National Medical Commissions (NMC)l is planning to endorse only ethical advertisements by corporate hospitals, as prescribed in the Professional Conduct of Registered Medical Practitioners regulations issued last year, which were later put on hold...

In the Regulations relating to Professional Conduct of Registered Medical Practitioners issued in August 2023, which were withdrawn following strong protest by the Indian Medical Association, the NMC, for the first time, had addressed the issue of advertisement by corporate hospitals...

The NMCs 2023 guidelines had said that the provisions related to advertisements would be the same for doctors and hospitals offering healthcare services...

Limited advertisement allows hospitals and medical professionals to communicate essential information, such as practice commencement, change of address, or public declaration of charges, enhancing transparency in healthcare services and facilitating greater accessibility to healthcare services by informing the public about the availability of medical facilities and specialties offered, said Dr Dharminder Nagar, managing director of Paras Hospitals, a group present in many northern Indian cities...

By striking a balance between promotion and ethical conduct, healthcare stakeholders can contribute to a more accessible, informed, and trustworthy healthcare ecosystem in the country, he said.. Nagar who also heads the northern regional healthcare committee at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) added that some regulations on advertisement by corporate hospitals are needed, for example, when data in advertisements is not backed by evidence and on a few occasions, when lofty claims about 100 percent success for a treatment or procedure are unduly made.. (Edited by Richa Mishra)..

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