Hosps must give patients records in 72 hours: MCI ………..Prafulla Marpakwar | TNN
Mumbai: In a landmark order, the national consumer disputes redressal commission has made it mandatory for all medical practitioners and hospitals across the country to provide the entire medical record of a patient to himher or the authorised nominee or concerned legal authorities within 72 hours of the demand.
Simultaneously, the commission has asked the Medical Council of India to promulgate a comprehensive notification. Accordingly, a week ago, the MCI directed medical practitioners and hospitals to provide the medical records of a patient within three days of the request.
In any set of circumstances, hospitalsmedical practitioners shall hand over the medical records of the patient to him or his relatives within 72 hours, the MCI said in its circular.
The directives of the national commission followed by the MCI circular assume significance since the general tendency among medical practitioners and hospitals has been either to avoid a request for medical records or delay it for obvious reasons. However, Hinduja Hospital director G B Davar welcomed the move, saying it was in the interest of patients.
Our record system is perfect. If the patient or his nominee asks for medical records, we provide them immediately or within a reasonable period of two to three days, he said.
Mumbai: Reacting to the MCI move asking all hospitals and medicla practitioners to provide the medical records of a patient within three days of a demand being made, Hinduja hospital director and former dean of J J Hospital G B Davar said parting with medical records would improve the relationship between the doctor and the hospital. If all records are made available to a patient immediately, there will be no scope for doubt of any kind, he said.
No room for doubt with med records in patients hands
Mumbai: Reacting to the MCI move asking all hospitals and medicla practitioners to provide the medical records of a patient within three days of a demand being made, Hinduja hospital director and former dean of J J Hospital G B Davar said parting with medical records would improve the relationship between the doctor and the hospital. If all records are made available to a patient immediately, there will be no scope for doubt of any kind, he said.
Joint director of medical education Pravin Shingare, also a former dean of J J hospital, said that government hospitals had no system of providing medical records to relatives of the patient. As per our rules, we immediately provide records to the patient. However, there is no provision of providing records to the relatives. Only if the patient gives us permission in writing can we provide such records within a reasonable period of time, Shingare said.
Shingare added that with the enactment of the right to information act, all government hospitals were duty-bound to provide the medical records of all patients, and such records were given to the applicant within the stipulated period under the RTI act.