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Medical Council of India
Notification - 2002
1. CODE OF MEDICAL ETHICS
A. Declaration: Each
applicant, at the time of making an application for registration under the
provisions of the Act, shall be provided a copy of the declaration and shall
submit a duly signed Declaration as provided in Appendix 1. The
applicant shall also certify that he/she
had read and agreed to abide by the same.
B. Duties and
responsibilities of the Physician in general:
1.1 Character
of Physician (Doctors with qualification of MBBS or MBBS with post
graduate degree/ diploma or with equivalent qualification in any medical
discipline):
1.1.1 A physician shall uphold the
dignity and honour of his profession.
1.1.2 The prime object of the
medical profession is to render service to humanity; reward or financial gain
is a subordinate consideration. Who- so-ever chooses his profession, assumes
the obligation to conduct himself in accordance with
its ideals. A physician should be an upright man, instructed in the art of
healings. He shall keep himself pure in character and be diligent in caring
for the sick; he should be modest, sober, patient, prompt in discharging his
duty without anxiety; conducting himself with propriety in his profession and
in all the actions of his life.
1.1.3 No person other than a doctor
having qualification recognised by Medical Council
of India and registered with Medical Council of India/State Medical
Council(s) is allowed to practice Modern system of Medicine or Surgery. A
person obtaining qualification in any other
system of Medicine is not allowed to practice Modern system of Medicine in
any form.
1.2 Maintaining
good medical practice:
1.2.1 The Principal objective of the
medical profession is to render service to humanity with full respect for the
dignity of profession and man. Physicians should merit the confidence of
patients entrusted to their care, rendering to each a full measure of service
and devotion. Physicians should try continuously to improve medical knowledge
and skills and should make available to their patients and colleagues the
benefits of their professional attainments. The physician should practice
methods of healing founded on scientific basis and should not associate
professionally with anyone who violates this principle. The honoured ideals of the medical profession imply that the
responsibilities of the physician extend
not only to individuals but also to society.
1.2.2 Membership in Medical
Society: For the advancement of his profession, a physician should
affiliate with associations and societies of allopathic medical professions and involve actively in the functioning of such
bodies.
1.2.3 A Physician should participate
in professsional meetings as part of Continuing
Medical Education programmes, for at least 30 hours
every five years, organized by reputed professional academic bodies or any
other authorized organsiations. The compliance of
this requirement shall be informed regularly to Medical Council of India or
the State Medical Councils as the case may be.
1.3 Maintenance of medical records
1.3.1 Every physician shall maintain
the medical records pertaining to his / her indoor patients for a period of 3
years from the date of commencement of the treatment in a standard proforma laid
down by the Medical Council of India and attached as Appendix 3.
1.3.2. If any request is made for
medical records either by the patients / authorised
attendant or legal authorities involved, the same may be duly acknowledged
and documents shall be issued within the period of 72 hours.
1.3.3 A Registered medical
practitioner shall maintain a Register of Medical Certificates giving full
details of certificates issued. When issuing a medical certificate he / she
shall always enter the identification marks of the patient and keep a copy of
the certificate. He / She shall not omit to record the signature and/or thumbmark, address and at least one identification mark
of the patient on the medical certificates or report. The medical certificate
shall be prepared as in Appendix 2.
1.3.4 Efforts shall be made to computerize medical records for quick
retrieval.
1.4 Display of registration
numbers:
1.4.1 Every physician shall display
the registration number accorded to him by the State Medical Council /
Medical Council of India in his clinic and in all his prescriptions, certificates, money receipts given to his
patients.
1.4.2 Physicians shall display as suffix to their names only recognized
medical degrees or such
certificates/diplomas and memberships/honours which
confer professional knowledge or recognizes any exemplary
qualification/achievements.
1.5 Use of Generic names of
drugs: Every physician should, as far as possible, prescribe drugs
with generic names and he / she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription
and use of drugs.
1.6 Highest Quality Assurance
in patient care: Every physician should aid in safeguarding the
profession against admission to it of those who are deficient in moral
character or education. Physician shall not employ in connection with his
professional practice any attendant who is neither registered nor enlisted
under the Medical Acts in force and shall not permit such persons to attend,
treat or perform operations upon patients wherever
professional discretion or skill is required.
1.7 Exposure of Unethical
Conduct: A Physician should expose, without fear or favour, incompetent or corrupt, dishonest or unethical
conduct on the part of members of the profession.
1.8 Payment of Professional
Services: The physician, engaged in the practice of medicine shall
give priority to the interests of patients. The personal financial interests
of a physician should not conflict with the medical interests of patients. A
physician should announce his fees before rendering service and not after the
operation or treatment is under way. Remuneration received for such services
should be in the form and amount specifically announced to the patient at the
time the service is rendered. It is unethical to enter into a contract of “no
cure no payment”. Physician rendering service on behalf of the state shall refrain from anticipating or accepting any
consideration.
1.9 Evasion of Legal
Restrictions: The physician shall observe the laws of the country in
regulating the practice of medicine and shall also not assist others to evade
such laws. He should be cooperative in observance and enforcement of sanitary
laws and regulations in the interest of public health. A physician should
observe the provisions of the State Acts like Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940;
Pharmacy Act, 1948; Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances Act, 1985;
Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971; Transplantation of Human Organ
Act, 1994; Mental Health Act, 1987; Environmental Protection Act, 1986;
Pre–natal Sex Determination Test Act, 1994; Drugs and Magic Remedies
(Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954; Persons with Disabilities (Equal
Opportunities and Full Participation) Act, 1995 and Bio-Medical Waste
(Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 and such other Acts, Rules, Regulations
made by the Central/State Governments or local Administrative Bodies or any
other relevant Act relating to the protection and promotion of public health.
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