New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) After quantifying punishments for doctors accepting gifts, the Medical Council of India (MCI) Sunday said it has also written to the health ministry to regulate pharmaceutical companies luring doctors through gifts and free hospitality.
“Doctors are under our jurisdiction and we have now regulated them. But the other half - pharma companies - too need regulation on equal terms,” Vedprakash Mishra, an MCI member, told IANS.

“We have already written to the health ministry seeking equal and stringent regulation for these companies. You cannot expect fair play by punishing one group and sparing the other,” Mishra said.

“We are for it and the technical committee of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Indian government have been briefed by us. We hope a set of guidelines will also be out soon for these people,” Mishra said.

Authorities said the health ministry is discussing with all stake-holders and a fair outcome will come out.

“The illegal practice of accepting favours was going on unabated for long and the fresh guidelines will deter the unethical practice. We also need to put a deterrent for these pharmaceuticals (firms),” he added.

The MCI, which is the apex regulatory agency for doctors in India, Saturday suggested various degrees of punishments for doctors who accept gifts from any pharmaceutical or allied health care groups.

The punishments range from censure (for accepting gifts valued between Rs.1,000 and Rs.5,000) to removal from the Indian or State Medical Registry for more than one year (for accepting gifts worth more than Rs.100,000).