Following complaints from patients regarding misleading advertisements and misuse of social media by registered medical practitioners, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has decided to take strict action against doctors, officials said.
The MMC has received seven such complaints against registered medical practitioners, which also involved grave claims of guaranteed treatment for serious illnesses like cancer. While some doctors use social media to bust the myths and guide the public, few are found misusing social media for misleading advertisements, the MMC officials claimed.
Dr Vinky Rughwani, administrator of MMC, informed that such advertisements and claims are violations of the Indian Medical Council (Professional conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.
“It was found that patients were lured by false claims and advertisements on social media. Advertisement by doctors is not allowed, even on social media. Some doctors advertise claims of “100% guaranteed treatment, which is not only unethical but also violates the norms,” he said.
The MMC also stated there is a rise in online third-party platforms, which allow doctors to promote themselves.
{{/usCountry}}The MMC also stated there is a rise in online third-party platforms, which allow doctors to promote themselves.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Rughwani added, “Doctors are allowed to share information about their clinic, consultation hours, and location online. However, using these platforms for promotional activities, especially with misleading claims and testimonials showing success stories is unacceptable. Patients place their trust in doctors, and such advertising practices exploit this trust.”
As per officials, the action aims to ensure that patients receive reliable and ethical medical advice. Healthcare is a sensitive field, and doctors should adhere to strict ethical standards,” the official added.
Dr Sanjay Patil, national secretary (elect) Indian Medical Association- Hospital Board of India, said advertising by doctors is not allowed and IMA is strictly against advertisements claiming a guarantee for treatment.
“To provide genuine guidance to patients regarding specialised treatment, specialised doctors should be allowed ethical advertainment. The IMA is against online aggregators, and it is unethical, the same issue was raised with the ministers to control such aggregators. Doctors should promote government platforms to increase their visibility,” he added.