Hyderabad: The National Medical Commission has imposed strict restrictions on live surgical broadcasts, barring their use for promotion or commercial gain and making patient safety and ethical compliance mandatory.
The move follows a Supreme Court petition alleging that private hospitals were exploiting live surgeries to advertise infrastructure, surgeons to showcase skills, and manufacturers to market medical products, jeopardising patient welfare in the process.
In response, the NMC constituted a panel and issued new rules. Hospitals wishing to conduct live surgeries must hold recognised accreditation. Operation theatres must be fully equipped with pre-operative, anaesthesia, post-operative, ICU, and lab facilities.
High-risk patients or those with incomplete diagnostics must not be selected for live demonstrations. Hospitals must instead use recorded videos for training. Written patient consent is compulsory and must clearly detail risks, benefits, and privacy protections.
State Medical Council or NMC approval is now a prerequisite for all live surgeries. Foreign practitioners must obtain temporary permission from the NMC Ethics and Medical Registration Board.
An apex oversight body will now keep tabs on live surgical events, ensuring they adhere to ethical standards, safety norms, and genuine educational objectives. Surgeons and organisers have been explicitly told to avoid engaging with audiences mid-procedure and to keep their attention fixed on patient care.
The directive follows rising unease within the medical community about live surgeries being used more for publicity than for learning. Officials say the new rules are meant to bring clarity, restore trust, and put patient safety back at the centre of such demonstrations.
