iDentistry The Journal identistry_jan_april2019 | Page 40

The Journal
rates for as low as Rs. 700-1000 for Rs. 10 lacs
coverage which sometimes includes pre-
litigation costs and document coverage as
well). Although law and ethics have similarities,
law may be better defined as the sum total of
rules and regulations by which a society is
governed. Healthcare malpractices can be
challenged under two main categories in the
court of law, that is, civil and criminal depending
on the nature of offence. A third category lies
under Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 1986,
where professional services provided by the
dentist can be challenged under the deficiency
of service. Medical/Dental Records are the
most important factors needed to prevail in the
lawsuit. Therefore, there is a need for oral
health professionals to update their
understanding on ethics, informed consent,
CPA and its amendments along with
professional indemnity insurance.
Summary
In general, whenever a seminar on medico-
legal ethics (MLE) is conducted, many of the
colleagues give it a royal ignore totally to keep
minting money at their clinic practice. I have
personally experienced the same whenever I
lecture on MLE, Practice Management and
Finance together, the least attendance is in
MLE followed by Finance and the maximum
attendance being in Practice Management
where the colleagues are hungry for a few fast
track tips to earn by hook and crook and are
really not bothered if ethics is involved in that or
not. The rising cost of dental education and an
even higher cost to setup clinical practice
means every month a good amount of EMI has
to be paid and when the need is there, it really
doesn’t matter sometimes to a few colleagues
where does the money come from following a
straight path or via crossing the line. If at all, you
get a gathering at such a seminar and the
subject of medical or dental ethics is brought up
for discussion (I have myself experienced this
myself), inevitably, someone raises an
apparently logical question: "When society at
40
large is corrupt and unethical, how can you
expect dentists or doctors to remain honest?"
The question assumes that if everyone is doing
wrong, we are entitled to follow suit.It also
shows that most of us in the dental profession,
though literate are not educated enough to be
able to transcend our baser impulses. In doing
so, of course, ‘we are cheating for a heap of
gold’. We have also forgotten two lessons
taught in recent times. The mystic sage from
Bengal, Ramakrishna Paramhansa (1836 –
1886), commented on the Indian penchant for
idol worship and offered a suggestion that could
be used by all Indian doctors to the advantage
of their patients: "If God can be worshipped in
images of clay, should He not be worshipped in
one's fellow beings?" Mahatma Gandhi (1869 –
1948) offered a talisman to be used when we
are in doubt as to the course of an action or
when we are obsessed with ourselves and our
own wellbeing: "Recall the face of the poorest
and weakest man whom you may have seen
and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is
going to be of use to him and you will find your
doubt and yourself melting away”. Dental
professionals belong to a group of health-care
providers that are governed by a uniform code
of ethics. An important component of ethics is
the informed consent, which corresponds to the
basic principle of patient autonomy and respect.
Informed consent signifies that every patient
should provide autonomous, voluntary and
informed consent for the treatment rendered to
him/her. The process of informed consent is
also helpful in improving the dentist-patient
relationship thereby providing quality
treatment.Overall speaking, the ethical
principles are integral to the Dental profession.
The Dental Council of India has made it clear
that all Dentists should maintain the highest
ethical standards. Highest practice standards
reaffirm and strengthen the values to which all
Dentists should aspire.Ethical guidance should
be positive, demonstrating best practices and
providing guidance on the appropriate
standards of personal and professional
behaviour. Those dentists, whose actions or
Vol. 15
No. 1
Jan-April 2019