To form expert panel to decide and reply to Apex Court
New Delhi : The NMC has failed to reach on consensus on the issue “Should live surgeries be allowed on medical conferences or not ?” Supreme Court while hearing a PIL on banning the Live Surgery Broadcast has issued notices to NMC, central government and All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) to know their stand on the contentious issue. The PIL filed by Dr. Rahil Chaudhary, an ophthalmologist, accuses AIOS of indulging in illegal, unethical and life-endangering LSB. Dr Yogender Malik of the NMC’s Medical Ethics and Registration Board said the Supreme Court had sought its view on the matter but there were contrasting opinions among members. The NMC now plans to form a committee of experts to look into the issue since there are divergent views among the members.
The top court had sought a response from the Centre and others, including the NMC, on the PIL that raised legal and ethical questions over the live broadcast of surgical procedures. The petitioners had compared surgeons interacting with audiences while performing procedures to cricketer Virat Kohli batting and commentating at the same time. The petitioner had said that they did not had objection on the surgery being recorded and then played before an audience with explanations from the surgeon for educational purpose. The petitioner had brought to the notice of Supreme Court that LSB is being used for advertising and marketing purposes for the surgeon and medical products. Also the consent for LSB of the patients especially the poor is obtained by offering free surgery.
On the other hand AIOS president Dr Harbansh Lal said that “there is no better tool than live surgeries to transfer the surgery skill and build confidence among doctors”. “Even when a surgery is not shown live in a conference, in medical colleges, it is shown to residents and learning doctors routinely,” he said. As far as stress on surgeon is concerned during a live procedure, Lal said this was part and parcel of modern life.“Aren’t surgeons carrying out procedures on VIP patients under added stress,” he asked, adding that surgeons demonstrating procedures in conferences are top-of-the line doctors and can handle stress very well. On live surgeries being sponsored by device makers, Lal said that this was permitted under the NMC regulations.