Duties and Responsibilities of

Doctor
Dr.Ravi kumar
Asst professor
 Rights of a registered medical
practitioner
• Right to choose his patient(EXCEPT IN
EMERGNCY)
• Right to add titles, qualifications etc after his
name
• Right to practice and dispense medicine
• Right to possess and supply dangerous drugs
to his patient
• Right to recovery of fees
• Right to give evidence as an expert
• Right to issue medical certificates
• Right for appointment to public and local
hospital.
General Duties and Responsibilities
DIGNITY: Doctor should uphold the dignity and
honor of his profession.
MODESTY: Should be modest, sober, pleasing in
Personality, should have patients. Should be
eager to help patients.
KNOWLEDGE: Should keep abreast of advances of
medical science , and improve his knowledge and
skills by referring to latest books, journals ,
attending conferences.
• CME programmers : should participate in
continuous medical education(CME)
PRIGRAMMES (at least 30 hours every 5 years)
• Memberships of medical societies: should have
memberships of medical societies and should
attend their meetings.
• Methods of healing founded on scientific basis:
Should not use drugs used by quacks, or those
whose efficacy is in doubt.
• Maintenance of medical records.
• Display of registration numbers : Registration
number accorded to the doctor by SMC/MCI
should be
• A)Displayed in clinic ,and always mentioned in
• B)Prescriptions
• C)Certificates
• D)Money receipts.
• DEGREES : Should only suffix after his name ,
those degrees which are duly recognized
• USE OF GENERIC NAMES OF DRUGS : As far as
possible generic names (instead of brand
names) should be used in prescriptions.
EMPLOYMENT : Of only qualified medical and
paramedical personnel to attend to patients in
his clinic.
EXPOSURE OF UNETHICAL CONDUCT : Doctor
should expose dishonest or unethical conduct
on the part of members of his profession.
• PAYMENT OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE : Doctor
should announce his fees before into a
contract of “no cure no payment”.
 Duties of medical practitioners
in consultation
1.Unnecessary consultations should be avoided:
The doctor should ask for consultation from
another doctor only when it is required.
A . patient’s consent Whenever doctor asks for
consultation he should talk about the same with
the reasons for the same. If they object, he
should mention the same in the case records
B . Consultation : Should be for patient’s benefit [and
not for doctor’s and consultant’s mutual benefit]
C . PUNCTUALITY : Must be maintained by the
consultant in attending to the patient referred to him.
D . Case summary of patient : Should be given to the
specialist , when a patient is referred to him . The
specialist should communicate his opinion in writing
to the referring physician
• Discloser of Consultant’s opinion :
• 1) Disclosers of Consultant’s opinion is the
prerogative of referring doctor
• 2) If disclosure is decided , it should place in
the presence of Consultant
• 3) If there is a serious difference of opinion
between the referring doctor and the
consultant , the patient should be informed
about the same, and advised to seek futher
opinion
• Legal responsibility of referring doctor in case
complete transfer: When referring physician
has completely transferred the case to a
different doctor, he is relieved of all legal
responsibilities
• 7) Doctrine of negligent choice : Treating doctor
(referring physician) refers patients to a
specialist. It is known that the specialist is
incompetent or has a bad reputation as an
“errant” physician. The referring doctor may be
held liable under the doctrine of negligent
choice.
 Duties of Medical Practitioners to one
another
• 1) Dependence of physicians on each other – A
doctor should consider it a pleasure and privilege to
render gratuitous service to all fellow doctors and
their family dependents.
• 2) Should not talk disparagingly of colleagues
• 3) Appointment of substitute – When a physician
requests his colleagues take over his patients
temporarily during his absence, the colleague
should agree only when he has the capacity to
discharge the additional responsibility.
 Duties of medical Practitioners to the Public in
general and to the Paramedical Profession

1) Physicians as citizen – I) Should disseminate advice

on public health issues. II) Should co operative
with the authorities in the administration of
sanitary and public health laws and regulations.
2) Public and Community health – I) Should notify
the constituted public health authorities of every
case of communicable disease under his care II)
When an epidemic occurs, doctors should not
abandon his duty for fear of contracting the
diseases himself.
• 3) Pharmacists and Nurses – Doctors should
recognize and promote the practice of
different paramedical services such as
pharmacy and nursing as professions and
should seek their co-operation wherever
required.
 Duties of Medical Practitioner in criminal
matters
• The doctor must report all cases of homicide,
suicide and accident to the police, because all
these constitute offences, and fall within the
meaning of S.201, IPC. Failure to do so would
make him liable to prosecution u/s 176, IPC
(Omission to give notice information to public
servant by person legally bound to give it).
Punishment is imprisonment of 6 months, or
1000rs fine or both.