Doctors told to stop selling miracle cures

Doctors and hospitals giving advertisements on TV channels, newspapers or hoardings claiming to provide treatment for diseases, including Aids are under scanner. The Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) is planning to take stern action against them for publicising schemes or offers to attract patients as per the Indian Medical Council (professional conduct, etiquette and ethics) Regulation Act.Notices have been already served to many hospitals seeking explanations for advertisements appearing in various media, mostly hoardings coming up in every nook and corner in the city. “Advertisements appearing in electronic, print media and hoardings are unethical and amount to violation of code of ethics,” Dr E Ravindra Reddy, chairman, Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) told Express.In a recent meeting, the council took a serious view of nearly 11 such instances and awarded punishments to three doctors.Ravindra Reddy said among the three d o c t o r s , D r Koutharapu Ravindra of Vijaywada was suspended for five years for fake advertising and administering unauthenticated vaccine which he claimed cured AIDS.“Such behaviour was unbecoming of a doctor of modern medicine,’’ added Dr Ravindra Reddy. Dr Pabba Kylas, cardiologist, Karimnagar has been suspended for two years for misusing the name of APMC and printing pamphlets in name of the registrar with a malafide intention to defame another medical practitioner.Dr Reddy said the primary responsibility of the Council is to register eligible medical graduates, postgraduates and all eligible candidates of modern scientific medicine, maintain professional standards and discharge other functions as provided in the Indian Medical Council Act 1956.If any patient died due to negligence of the doctor or found any doctor giving treatment possessing fake certificates, the patient’s kin could directly approach the APMC office and lodge a complaint, added Dr Reddy. “We will take stern action if any doctor fails in giving proper treatment,’’ he said.“We only consider MBBS certificates to get registration for practice from candidates from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A number of candidates pursued their medical courses and obtain certificates as MD (physician) from different countries. We consider such certificates as only MBBS qualified and they can put only MBBS in their name boards,’’ Reddy said.A few days ago, APMC suspended B Jagadish of Medi-Kid Children’s Hospital, Ameerpet for three months for practicing as a pediatrician with unrecognised post-graduate diploma DCH (Vienna) and deleting display of his basic degree- MBBS.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com