Chandigarh: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced strict new rules to curb misleading medical advertisements, exaggerated claims and aggressive marketing by doctors and hospitals.Under the guidelines, doctors and medical institutions are prohibited from using “before-and-after” photographs of patients, surgical results or patient testimonials to promote their practices. The rules specify that even patient consent does not make such promotional images or success stories permissible. TOI had recently highlighted the absence of such guidelines and reported a case in which a faculty member was using social media for self-promotion.The framework aims to protect patients and uphold medical ethics by prohibiting catchy advertising slogans such as “guaranteed cures”, “100% success”, “best doctor” and “miracle treatment”. It also bars fake reviews, purchased social media followers, search engine ranking manipulation, commercial product endorsements, fear-based marketing, and special discounts or free procedures that could induce unnecessary medical treatment.Medical fraternity welcomes move, seeks clarityThe notification has drawn reactions from the medical community, with K K Talwar, former director of PGI, welcoming the move to prevent unethical practices and protect patients’ interests. R S Bedi, former national vice-president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), said while the IMA welcomed the notification in principle, the more serious threat to patient safety remained quackery and the practice of treating patients outside one’s recognised system of medicine without lawful authorisation or appropriate training.Atul Prashar, head of the plastic surgery department at PGI, said the move was long-awaited but that greater clarity was needed, especially regarding “before-and-after” cases.Medical professionals pointed out that in specialties such as plastic surgery, explaining surgical outcomes for conditions such as burn contractures often relies heavily on visual aids, including photographs, as medical literature alone may fail to engage audiences.“The rise of short-form reels and social media has made digital presence a strong compulsion due to reduced patient attention spans. We are within the ambit of the laws, but this does not include those who use the platform without being medical practitioners,” said S S Makkar, a former faculty member in PGI’s department of plastic surgery.Factual information, public health education allowedMedical professionals can still share factual information about their clinics’ locations, infrastructure and available services, provided their online posts clearly display their registration numbers and qualifications. Genuine public health education talks and research published in medical journals are also permitted.Violations carry penalties imposed by state medical councils, ranging from warnings and mandatory ethics training to monetary fines, suspension of registration for up to one year, or removal from the medical register for up to three years. Aggrieved doctors can appeal to the National Medical Commission’s Ethics and Medical Registration Board within 60 days.
