6. Practitioner's responsibility.- A practitioner
of Indian medicine shall merit the
confidence of patients entrusted to his
care, rendering to each a full measure of
service and devotion and shall try continuously
to improve
his knowledge and skill. He shall
make available to his patients and colleagues
the benefits of his professional attainment.
The honoured ideals of the medical
profession imply that the responsibility
of such
practitioner shall extend not only to individuals
but also to society.
7. Patience, delicacy and secrecy.-Patience
and delicacy shall characterise the practitioner
of Indian medicine. Confidence concerning
individuals or domestic life entrusted by
patients to a practitioner of Indian medicine
and defects in the disposition or character
of patients observed during medical attendance
shall never be revealed unless their revelation
is required by law. Sometimes, however,
a practitioner must determine whether his
duties to society require him to employ
knowledge obtained through confidences to
him as such practitioner to protect a healthy
person against a communicable disease to
which he is about to be exposed. In such
instances, the practitioners of Indian medicine
shall act as he would desire another to
act towards one of his own family
in like circumstances.
8. Prognosis.- A practitioner
of Indian medicine shall neither exaggerate
nor minimise the gravity of a patient's condition and shall assure himself
that the patients, his relatives or his
responsible friends have such knowledge
of the patient's condition as will serve
the best interests of the patient and the
family.
9. The patient
must not be neglected.--A
practitioner of Indian medicine shall be
free to choose whom he will serve. He shall, however,
respond to any request for his assistance
in any emergency or whenever temperate public
opinion expect his
services. Once having undertaken
a case, the practitioner of Indian Medicine
shall not neglect the patient, nor shall
he withdraw from the case without giving
notice to the patient, his relatives or
his responsible friends sufficiently in
advance to allow them to secure another
medical attendant. No provisionally or fully
registered medical practitioner of Indian
medicine shall wilfully commit an act of
negligence that may deprive his patient
or patients from necessary medical care.
10. Upholding the honour of the profession.-
A practitioner of Indian medicine shall
uphold the dignity and honour of his profession.
11. Engagement for an obstetric case.-If
a practitioner of Indian medicine agrees
to attend a women during her confinement,
he must do so. Inability to do so on an
excuse of any other engagement is not tenable
except when he is already engaged on a similar
or other serious case. When a practitioner,
who has been engaged to attend an obstetric
case, is absent and another is sent for
and delivery accomplished, the acting practitioner
is entitled to his professional fees, but
shall secure the patient's consent to resign
on the arrival of the practitioner engaged
earlier.
12. Practitioner as a Citizen.-A practitioner
of Indian medicine as a good citizen, possessed
of special training, shall advise concerning
the health of the community wherein he dwells.
He shall lend his support in enforcing the
laws of the community and in sustaining
in the institutions that advance the interests
of humanity. He shall cooperate with the
proper authorities in the administration
of sanitary laws and regulations.
13. Public Health.-A
practitioner of Indian medicine especially
engaged in public health work, shall enlighten
the public concerning measures for the prevention
of epidemics and communicable diseases.
At all times, the practitioner shall notify
the constituted public health authorities
of every case of communicable disease under
his care, in accordance with the laws, rules
and regulations of the health authorities.
When an epidemic prevails, he shall continue
his labour without regard to the risk of
his own health.
