Brinda's letter to Health Minister on the “ill conceived move by the Medical Council of India

Given below is the full text of the letter addressed to the Union Minister
for Health & Family Welfare by CPI(M) Polit Brueau Member, Brinda Karat
today on the “ill conceived move by the Medical Council of India to bring
an amendment to the Ethics regulation for doctors for exempting “the
Professional Association of Doctors” from the jurisdiction of the Medical
Council of India.”

Dear Shri Ghulam Nabi Azadji,

This letter is to bring to your attention, for prompt and appropriate
action, the ill conceived move by the Medical Council of India to bring an
amendment to the Ethics regulation for doctors for exempting “the
Professional Association of Doctors” from the jurisdiction of the Medical
Council of India.

In the recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Medical Council of
India on February 18th it was decided to amend 6.8 and exempt the
“Professional Association of Doctors” from the purview of Medical Ethics.
It should be noted that the 6.8 amendment of Ethics regulation was added
in December 2009 following the widespread misuse of the loopholes in
Ethics regulation 2002 by the professional association of doctors,
including the Indian Medical Association.

It is inconceivable and objectionable that the MCI should exclude
associations of medical professionals from the ethical standards that are
expected of individual doctors. Does it then mean that what is
impermissible for an individual doctor is permissible if he/she acts in
association with others. It is not just the absurdity of such a position,
which is striking. The question arises if such a position has been taken
because the present dispensation of the MCI is working to protect the IMA
which has been found guilty of violation of ethical standards in an
earlier case of endorsement for a remuneration of a commercial product of
Pepsico for which action was taken against the office bearers of IMA who
were involved. In that case you personally had made a statement in the Lok
Sabha on November 19th, 2010 in which you had declared that action was
taken against the office bearers for their illegal and unethical
endorsement.

A case connected  is still pending with the MCI. This relates to the
harassment and victimization of the whistleblower in the case Dr. Babu.
The earlier Ethics Committee, now disbanded, had recommended strong action
against the office bearers of IMA responsible for the harassment including
suspension of their licenses. The present set of office bearers of MCI
have not acted on the Ethics Committee recommendation. On the contrary the
MCI has now suggested that professional associations should be exempted.
If this is accepted it will mean protection to those guilty of the
violation of ethics and a punishment to those who like Dr. Babu have
spoken out against malpractices.

In this context, this letter is to request you to reject the retrograde
and ill conceived move by the Medical Council of India, to amend 6.8 of
MCI regulation, to exempt the Professional Association of Doctors from the
purview of the Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics for registered
medical practitioners.

With regards,
Yours Sincerely,



(Brinda Karat)

Sri.Ghulam Nabi Azad,
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare,
New Delhi