Following a Supreme Court order, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued detailed guidelines on advertisements by registered medical practitioners and hospitals across the country.
The rules aim to protect patients, prevent the commercialisation of healthcare and maintain the dignity of the medical profession.
Ban on false claims and misleading promotions
Under the new guidelines, doctors and hospitals cannot make false or misleading claims about treatments. Advertisements using terms such as “number one doctor,” “best doctor,” “100% success,” “guaranteed cure,” “miracle treatment” and “painless treatment” are prohibited.
Doctors and hospitals are also barred from attracting patients through discounts, special offers, gifts or coupons.
Restrictions on AI-generated promotions
The guidelines also place strict limits on the commercial use of artificial intelligence. Doctors and hospitals cannot use AI-generated campaigns to mislead or deceive patients. AI may be used only to help patients understand medical information.Using patients’ names, photographs or medical records for promotional purposes, or sharing such information with others, is also prohibited.
Strict penalties for violations
The NMC has prescribed a series of penalties for violations. A warning will be issued for the first violation, while a penalty will be imposed for a second violation.
For a third violation, a doctor’s registration may be suspended for three to six months. In serious cases, the licence may be suspended for six to 12 months.
Repeated or serious negligence can also lead to the doctor’s name being removed from the medical register for one to three years.