In a first, the Punjab health department has revised the composition of district medical boards that examine cases of alleged medical negligence, allowing the inclusion of private doctors.
The inclusion of private doctors is said to have been necessitated by the lack of super-specialists in the government sector. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Under the new guidelines, issued on Friday, upto two private practitioners can be included in the five-member committee, which the district civil surgeon heads. Earlier, district medical boards, dealing with negligence cases, only comprised government doctors.
As per the revised structure, the district medical board will consist of the civil surgeon as chairperson; the principal medical officer or medical superintendent of the district hospital as member secretary; two subject specialists as members—either both from the government sector or one from a private hospital; and one member nominated by the district president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The move is said to have come after the complaints of medical negligence involving private hospitals were reportedly on the rise, raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest and the credibility of inquiry processes.
Last year, the Patiala police had to book a private female doctor and her husband for alleged medical negligence after a pregnant woman died. In another case earlier this year, a surgeon—whose licence had previously been suspended for medical negligence—was again found guilty. However, no action was taken by the Patiala health department in the latter case.
Principal secretary (health) Kumar Rahul, who issued the orders revising the board’s composition, did not respond to repeated calls seeking comment.
Meanwhile, a senior health department official, confirming the development, said the inclusion of private doctors was necessitated by the lack of super-specialists in the government sector. “Except in a few districts that have medical colleges, there are no super-specialists available in government hospitals. If a case relates to cardiology or neurosurgery, we do not have specialists to constitute a medical board,” the official said.
Forensic experts excluded
Apart from allowing private doctors, the forensic medicine experts—who conduct post-mortem examinations—have been excluded from the district medical boards. This, however, is contrary to the guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission.
According to the commission’s guidelines, medical boards should be constituted in government medical colleges and district hospitals. Where no medical college exists, district hospital will do the things.