Health dept to monitor registered medical practitioners dishing out health advice on social media

BENGALURU: The Health Department has decided to monitor doctors and registered medical practitioners who give online health tips and information about medicines on social media.

Doctors who come under regular practice, and hospitals and clinics covered under the KPME Act can provide medical information to the public. If the Health Department is informed about doctors who are not covered under the KPME Act, or fake doctors giving information about treatments and medicines, action will be taken.

Health Department Commissioner Gurudutt Hegde said, “People give information about health and nutrition on social media, we cannot call that illegal. We will check whether registered medical practitioners of private hospitals and clinics, which come under the KPME Act, are giving medical advise on social media. If anyone does this, action will be taken under the KPME Act. If people give information about those without a licence, we will take action. If anyone is suggesting medicine prescriptions etc., action will definitely be taken. We will definitely curb it,” he said.