New code of ethics for doctors

KOLKATA: The medical ethics committee of West Bengal Medical Council has called a meeting on June 10 to adopt a new code of ethics for doctors. This became necessary, committee chairman P.K. Choudhuri told TNN, in view of the complexities involved in the modern-day medical profession.
The WBMC prepared a draft code through an exercise running into several months.In the mean time, the Medical Council of India adopted a code, notified in The Gazette of India on April 6. Monday’s meeting aims at merging the two so that there is no contradiction between the national and the state codes. “We have decided to incorporate certain parts of the MCI guidelines into our draft,� said Choudhuri.
The new code will have significant bearing on the patient-doctor relation-ship. Every physician must display not only his or her registration number, but also “fees and other charges� in the clinic. Medical records must be maintained at least for three years and provided within 72 hours on request from a patient.
Advertising and soliciting by doctors are banned. So is running a shop selling drugs prescribed by others. While prescribing, “the proprietary formulae as well as generic name of the drug� should be stated clearly.
The format of every patient-related document, from medical records to medical certificates, has been standardised by the MCI. These will be applicable in the state, too. Signature or thumb impression of the patient in the medical certificate is made mandatory.
If a doctor posted in a rural area is found absent on more than two occa-sions during inspection by the head of the district health authority or the zilla parishad, it would be construed as “misconduct�. Also, a doctor in a medical college or hospital must be there during duty hours.
An important clause incorporated by WBMC from the MCI code relates to human rights. “The physician shall not aid or abet torture nor shall he be party to either infliction of mental or physical trauma or concealment of torture inflicted by some other person or agency in clear violation of human rights.�
Practising euthanasia will be unethical. However, on specific occasions, the question of withdrawing supporting devices even after brain death shall be decided by a team of doctors and not by the treating physician alone.