Nefarious practices rife in medical sector, admits Harsh Vardhan

"Nefarious" practices are thriving in the medical sector and the patient needs to be protected from them, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan told parliament Tuesday.

The health ministry accepts that "the patient or consumer of the medical economy needs protection from such nefarious practices that have come to thrive under conditions created by lack of implementation of existing laws," Harsh Vardhan said in a statement in parliament.

The minister's statement comes after a TV programme which exposed the nexus between dishonest medical practitioners and the managements of pathological laboratories and diagnostic centres in Delhi.

Harsh Vardhan said he has directed the union health secretary to conduct an impartial inquiry into the facts brought out by the programme.

"I have also written to the president of the Medical Council of India pointing out that the practice of accepting commissions is in clear violation of MCI's code of ethics, 2002," he said.

The health ministry is also drawing up a panel of reputed medical practitioners and consumer law experts to suggest measures for introducing greater transparency and accountability in medical practices, he added.