Sunday, December 28, 2014

Hospitals, nursing homes get new code of ethics

A new code of ethics will now govern hospitals, nursing homes and other similar medical establishments, prohibiting any malpractices such as earning cuts, commissions, inflating patients' bills and accepting freebies. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has recently issued the broad guidelines for healthcare providers and asked them to put it on display.

"IMA's Central Council has passed the declaration. We will bring out a detailed guideline explaining the code of ethics as declared. The detailed note will elaborate on what healthcare providers should do and not do," .
The present declaration, passed by IMA, highlights that hospitals or other such establishments will not "accept expensive gifts, cash benefits or gratification from the drug and equipment suppliers, diagnostics centres or similar agencies". It also clearly states that unjustified admissions or billing to patients, giving cuts and commissions to anyone for soliciting patients, over-billing in claim cases or improper entries in insurance forms will be considered 'unethical or illegal' as is the case with sheltering any criminal from law and pre-natal sex determination.

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