Complaining against a Medical Professional

You can file any complaint with regard to professional misconduct to the State Medical Council or Medical Council of India for disciplinary action.¹ The list of all the State Medical Councils in India can be found here.

Procedure to complain

If the State Medical Council has not decided upon a complaint for over six months, the complainant can approach the Medical Council of India (MCI). Additionally, the MCI has the power to withdraw the case from the State Council and transfer it to themselves.²

If a person is not satisfied by the decision of a State Medical Council, they may go to the MCI to challenge the decision within 60 days from receiving the order by the Council. However, if 60 days have passed, then the MCI may or may not accept the complaint of the aggrieved person.³

Punishment 

Once a complaint is received, the relevant Medical Council will hear the practitioner. Further, if the person is found guilty, the punishment will be determined by the Council. For instance, it can direct the name of the practitioner to be removed from the corresponding register altogether, or for a specified time period. This means that the practitioner will not be able to practice for that period.⁴

1. Regulation 8.2, Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002[↩]
2. Regulation 8.7, Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002[↩]
3. Regulation 8.8, Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002[↩]
4. Regulation 8.2, Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002[↩]