‘Alliance of ‘Doctors for Ethical Healthcare’
Mission
checking corporatization of Health care and preventing conversion of medicine into a profit-centred industry. Legal curbs on unethical practices of corporate hospitals like advertisements, kickbacks,
commissions etc should be brought in.
Major regulation and rationalization of fee structure in private medical colleges. These colleges
should not be allowed to charge any donation, capitation fees.
Regulation of pharma industry is urgently needed with provisions like ban on irrational
medicines and irrational Fixed Dose Combinations, promotion of quality generic medicines, mandatory
ethical pharma marketing code. The industry producing medical equipments and consumables is also one
of the drivers of commercialization of healthcare today, and needs to be appropriately regulated,
including rationalisation of MRPs. Strict regulation of manufacture and marketing of various food
supplements is also very much required, since many of these are of dubious value
There is a need to move away from a market
based system which makes doctors and patients adversaries of each other. Rational, ethical doctors need
ensured supply of trained nursing staff, there should be improvement in the implementation of acts like
PCPNDT etc. and capping the amount of compensation in medico legal cases. Clinical Establishment Act
2010 should exempt outpatient clinics from infrastructural requirements, and the existing provisions
related to mandatory emergency medical care should be appropriately modified.
Regulation of Private medical sector with rationalization of care and transparent, accountable
regulatory bodies: Given the background of failure of self-regulation in India, we endorse the need for
social regulation of the private medical sector, for which legal framework needs to be enacted and
implemented in all states with the following provisions:
- Separate, autonomous multi-stakeholder public regulatory body (including representatives of doctors and civil society organisations) with transparent functioning for implementation of the act.
- Inclusion of Standard Charter of Patient’s Rights, District level appellate bodies and autonomous grievance redressal system for doctors and patients.
- Standard Treatment Guidelines, Minimum Standards which should be in accordance with the Indian situation, and keep in mind the concerns of smaller hospitals and genuinely not-forprofit health care institutions.
- Proper standardization of rates, transparency in rates with appropriate implementation.
Reconstitution of Medical Council of India on democratic lines, it’s transparent and accountable
functioning, bringing Trust Hospitals and Corporate Hospitals under the control of MCI.
We should help initiate a process of government policy for moving towards a publicly funded and
organised system of Universal Health Care, and inclusion into this system as required, sections of the
private providers who are committed to de-commercialised, rational, ethical practice. This would be a
major step for de-commercialisation of health care, which would be immensely beneficial for both
ordinary people and rational doctors. The State must accept health as a fundamental human right and
take the responsibility for health of the people. It should improve and expand the existing Public Health
System while making it transparent, accountable and patient friendly. Government should spend
substantial funds for provision of healthcare.
We urge all fellow ethical and rational doctors, who may be feeling isolated and might not be visible
today, but are present in significant numbers all over India, to join us in the movement for rational, ethical
practice: ‘Say No to commercialized, unethical and irrational medicine’. In order to bring together
rational and honest doctors in such a process and to take forward the march towards equitable,
accessible, affordable, accountable and quality healthcare while addressing the concerns of conscientious
doctors, we are forming a forum ‘Alliance of ‘Doctors for Ethical Healthcare.’
We hope that together, we ethical and rational doctors of India would try to bring a phenomenal change
in the way medicine is practiced today, and we will be able to shift the focus again back to the most
important but vulnerable stakeholder – the patient!
In our professional conduct, we should formulate a pledge not to give or take kickbacks from fellow
doctors, pharmaceutical industry, vaccine industry, equipment industry or any exchange which goes
against professional medical ethics. We should also pledge to actively resist unnecessary medicines, tests,
surgeries and procedures.
ADEH Declaration
We are for -
Vastly improved, democratized, accountable and expanded Public Health Services
Regulation and rationalization of fee structure in private medical colleges.
Regulation of Pharma industry, medical equipment industry and consumables.
Solving the practical problems of rational doctors – like high handed implementation of PCPNDT in which many honest doctors have suffered.
Capping the amount of compensation in medico legal cases
Honouring patients’ rights, adopting transparency regarding charges and for readiness to give enough time to patients and answer their queries.
Following standard treatment guidelines prepared by organizations in India with due consideration for local constraints
Bringing in Clinical establishment act that would protect honest and ethical doctors and would not bring in corrupt Baburaj.
Reconstitution of Medical Council of India on democratic lines, and bringing Corporate Hospitals under the control of MCI