Hyderabad: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has come down heavily on member doctors, stating that cuts and commissions from diagnostic centres and pharmaceutical companies will not be tolerated.
National president Dr K.K. Aggarwal has sent out letters to all members of the IMA. In it, he said that there will be “zero tolerance” for those accepting kickbacks.
“There will be zero tolerance to unethical practices and commissions. Patients can go and get the diagnosis done in any accredited and government certified centres; doctors must not insist on going to a particular centre,” he said.
Erring doctors will not be supported by the Association if action has been initiated against them by local authorities.
The IMA, in a series of meetings, has also been asking all member states and corporate hospitals not to prescribe unnecessary tests and burden patients.
A senior state health officer explained, “During the time of swine flu in Telangana, there was a lot of fear created. Patients had no option but to opt for swab testing in Institute of Preventive Medicine. Gullible patients had to cough out between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 for the tests, while others went personally and delivered samples. But this requires a level of awareness in patients. Presently, diagnostic tests for anaemia, thyroid and tuberculosis are being done free of cost at government hospitals, but there are only a section of people who opt for these tests.”
The referral system, which has become a norm in the industry, needs to be broken. A senior government health officer explained, “There is an existing system where doctors believe diagnostic reports only from particular centres; this practice has to stop. Reports from standardised centres must be accepted; this alone will bring that much-needed change.”
Dr Narsing Reddy, IMA president for Telangana State, explained, “We have held meetings with diagnostic centres, members and corporate hospitals, and insisted that no-incentive schemes must be inculcated. This is being followed since January and we are sensitising members on a regular basis.”There is also a strong view to have standardised rates for diagnostic centres.
