Karnataka Doctors Are Being Urged Not To Use Social Media To Incite Communal Strife
Update: 2022-05-04 12:06 IST
Image of a saffron flag used for representational purpose. (File Photo)
The Karnataka Medical Council has urged doctors to be mindful of their actions in the midst of escalating communal unrest in the state, because doctors and other medical professionals have direct contact with citizens and their comments are taken significantly.
The Council sent out a circular to all of its certified doctors, and it quickly went viral. It explained that it has come to the Council's attention that doctors are actively participating in fostering communal strife through social media. Doctors' involvement in issues of communal discord is plainly professional malpractice, because doctors are meant to treat patients regardless of caste or religion.
As a result, all medical practitioners working in Karnataka have been instructed that they must not be involved in any situations involving communal strife, and that if this is discovered by the KMC, they will be handled with harshly as it is an infringement of medical and professional ethics.
The registrar of the Council, Dr Shamrao B Patil, has approved the circular. In the region, there are approximately 1.7 lakh doctors. The most recent five-year renewal record revealed that 55,000-60,000 of them had renewed their registration.
The Council's president, Dr Kanchi Pralhad V, stated that no examples of doctors crossing the boundary had been documented so far. The circular was published as a reminder to doctors to behave themselves professionally in both their personal and professional lives. It's a warning to members not to discuss anything that could cause discord. He went on to say that they should be aware of their social behaviour.