The foremost legal and ethical duty of
doctor is to attend and treat the injuries and health of the patient/person
produced before him. His primary effort should always be to save the life of
the patient and then inform the police; but, all the injuries/findings observed
by him must be documented clearly in medicolegal cases (MLCs). This means that the
duty of the doctor to provide medical aid, even in MLCs, has been extended to
the private doctors and has also been authenticated in many government orders
and honorable courts.
Private doctors should not hesitate to entertain the MLC. But, after completing medical examination/treatment, a medicolegal report should be prepared as early as possible to avoid after–thought allegation. They should be prepared in duplicate, preferably with a ballpoint pen, in a clear and legible hand. Cutting/ overwriting, etc. should be avoided as much as possible and all corrections should be properly initialed. Abbreviations of any sort should be avoided. A medicolegal register should be maintained in the casualty of every hospital and details of all MLCs should be entered in this register, including the time and date of examination and the name of the doctor who is dealing with the case. This would be of immense help for future reference, when the patient through the court/ the police, requests for a copy of the medico legal report.
(Ref: Pattipati Venkaiah Vs State of Andhra Pradesh. 1985)
Private doctors should not hesitate to entertain the MLC. But, after completing medical examination/treatment, a medicolegal report should be prepared as early as possible to avoid after–thought allegation. They should be prepared in duplicate, preferably with a ballpoint pen, in a clear and legible hand. Cutting/ overwriting, etc. should be avoided as much as possible and all corrections should be properly initialed. Abbreviations of any sort should be avoided. A medicolegal register should be maintained in the casualty of every hospital and details of all MLCs should be entered in this register, including the time and date of examination and the name of the doctor who is dealing with the case. This would be of immense help for future reference, when the patient through the court/ the police, requests for a copy of the medico legal report.
(Ref: Pattipati Venkaiah Vs State of Andhra Pradesh. 1985)
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