MUMBAI: The issue of QR codes for Maharashtra’s doctors, recently mandated by the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), has perturbed the medical fraternity, which has responded with a letter listing its objections.
The MMC), in order to weed out bogus doctors, recently mandated QR code plates to be displayed at clinics to get patients updated authentic information about the doctor and their academic credentials. However, doctors practicing in multiple hospitals and clinics have objected to this as an “impractical suggestion” and asked the MMC to find a middle way.
“Most of our specialists, particularly those working in corporate hospitals, operate out of shared consultation rooms, used by multiple doctors at different times,” said Dr Rajendra Nagarkatti, president of the Association of Medical Consultants (AMC), which represents the interests of over 16,000 post-graduate medical specialists in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “How can hospitals put up so many QR codes? Will they have to have a wall full of QR codes plates? Will we have to carry around the QR code plates to our different clinics? Can’t we just have the QR codes on our letterheads for people to check? We are all for this move against fake doctors but there are things that need clarification.”
In a letter to the MMC, the ACM has stated that it is not opposed to the concept of putting up QR code plates but to the method. “A doctor may legitimately practice or provide professional services at several hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, diagnostic centres or other institutions. Requiring a separate physical plate at each and every location creates a repetitive compliance obligation without establishing why the same doctor needs to be independently represented by multiple physical identifiers. A doctor’s MMC registration is a single statutory registration, not a separate registration for every place where the doctor practices,” says the letter.
{{/usCountry}}In a letter to the MMC, the ACM has stated that it is not opposed to the concept of putting up QR code plates but to the method. “A doctor may legitimately practice or provide professional services at several hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, diagnostic centres or other institutions. Requiring a separate physical plate at each and every location creates a repetitive compliance obligation without establishing why the same doctor needs to be independently represented by multiple physical identifiers. A doctor’s MMC registration is a single statutory registration, not a separate registration for every place where the doctor practices,” says the letter.
{{/usCountry}}The AMC has also raised concerns about the collection and processing of doctors’ information through a third-party digital platform which will handle the QR code physical plate requirements. Its members have now demanded that the MMC reconsider the present implementation and engage with representatives of the medical profession before proceeding with coercive enforcement.
Responding to this, an MMC official said that registered medical practitioners could opt for more than one QR code. “Institutions are also supposed to ensure that the QR code of all the doctors working there are installed at their premises. As regards data concerns, the MMC continues to maintain full oversight of its data and its use.”
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