Date:20/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/20/stories/2005122009250400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Treat patients to the best of your ability, doctors told

Staff Reporter

`Doctors cannot be hauled up for negligence without proof of intent to cause harm'

BANGALORE: Lokayukta N. Venkatachala on Monday asked doctors to give the best of treatment to patients without worrying about being dragged to court over cases of negligence. Recent judgments of the Supreme Court have been in favour of doctors who treat patients with the best of intentions, he said.

Speaking at a workshop on "Forensic dentistry and ethico-legal aspects of dental practice" here, Mr. Venkatachala said the Supreme Court has clearly laid down that a doctor can be prosecuted only if it is proved that he has treated a patient with the intention of causing harm. "Unless the doctor indulges himself in an act with the knowledge that he is doing a wrong thing, he cannot be prosecuted. This is the benefit of the Supreme Court ruling," he said.

The Supreme Court, he said, has ruled in favour of doctors in cases of negligence filed before consumer forums and civil courts also. "Here the Supreme Court does not ask the doctors to give any special treatment to patients, but give treatment in the way any other doctor would have given for the ailment," he said. He added that such decisions are a great boon to doctors. "Doctors need to just treat patients to the best of their ability," he said.

Mr. Venkatachala welcomed the move of the Government Dental College to introduce forensic dentistry in the curriculum of the Bachelor of Dental Sciences course.

Forensic dentistry

Forensic dentistry, he said, involves collecting evidence about the dental features of people. This includes identifying bite marks.

Having a good knowledge of forensic dentistry will help dentists effectively give evidence in court during criminal trials, he said.

Mysore Minerals Corporation Managing Director Jija Madhavan Harisingh and Forensic Sciences Laboratory Director B.M. Mohan spoke.

During the three-day workshop organised by the Government Dental College, there will be sessions on laboratory investigations in forensic science, dental identification, dentists as expert witnesses, dental profiling, crime investigation, civil liability for medical negligence, dental ethics, medical negligence, and the Consumer Protection Act.