Complaining against a Medical Professional

Last updated on Jun 21, 2022

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.1

  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[]

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Please share your feedback about this post!

Sharing feedback will help us improve our content. Tell us how!

If you want to keep your feedback confidential, please mention it in your feedback. If you have a question, please ask us in the comments or Ask Nyaaya sections.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Have a question you want to ask our legal experts?

Related Resources

Duties of a Medical Professional or Doctor

A doctor should uphold the dignity and honor of their profession, and their prime objective should be to render service to humanity.

Misconduct by a Doctor/Medical Professional

Violation of any of the doctor’s duties will qualify as ‘misconduct’ and can result in disciplinary action being taken against a doctor.

Ethical Conduct by Pharmacists

This posts speaks about the ethical conduct that pharmacists must follow in handling medicines/drugs, giving advertisements, etc

Right to Confidentiality, Dignity and Privacy

All medical professionals have to maintain the highest level of confidentiality regarding the private details of the patient.

Obtaining Information About Medical Records or Reports

Patients have the right to obtain authentic information regarding their medical condition, method of treatment and options for treatment.

Who is a Medical Practitioner or Doctor?

A Medical Practitioner practices medicine through the study, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of any disease etc