Punjab Adds Private Doctors to Medical Negligence Boards

In a significant policy shift, the Punjab health department has updated the composition of its district medical boards, which handle cases of alleged medical negligence. For the first time, private doctors are permitted to serve on these committees, with up to two private practitioners now eligible to join the five-member boards led by the civil surgeon.

This revision follows an increase in medical negligence complaints against private hospitals, raising concerns about impartiality and inquiry processes. The inclusion of private doctors is also a practical response to a shortage of super-specialists within the government sector. Officials note that without private practitioners, it would be difficult to form boards for specialized cases like cardiology or neurosurgery in many districts.

However, the revised guidelines also see the exclusion of forensic medicine experts from these boards, a move that appears to contradict the National Medical Commission's own recommendations. The commission's guidelines suggest the inclusion of such experts in medical board compositions.