The Nepal Medical Council (NMC) has taken a stern stance against healthcare professionals who utilize social media platforms to offer medical advice or prescribe medications without physical examinations. In a recently issued urgent directive, the regulatory authority cautioned that such practices bypass essential scientific protocols and jeopardize patient safety.
According to the council, the trend of recommending treatments on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook is both irresponsible and unscientific. Registrar Dr. Satish Kumar Dev emphasized that providing medical consultations online without a direct, in-person assessment of the patient is a violation of established medical norms.
Beyond the clinical risks, the NMC highlighted significant concerns regarding the breach of patient confidentiality. The council explicitly instructed physicians to stop uploading content that reveals a patient’s identity. Doctors are now required to ensure that faces and personal details remain hidden in any clinical videos or materials shared publicly to uphold professional ethics.
The directive serves as a reminder that the sensitive nature of healthcare demands strict adherence to professional codes of conduct. The council warned that failing to comply with these regulations would result in formal disciplinary action against the offending practitioners.
This regulatory move aims to professionalize the digital presence of medical experts while ensuring that the convenience of social media does not compromise the integrity of clinical care in Nepal.
