Supreme Court Reviews PIL on Live Broadcasts of Medical Surgeries

The Supreme Court is looking into a public interest litigation (PIL) about live broadcasting medical surgeries for training and conferences.The Court sees this issue as important and related to state policy. They agreed to examine it even if the petitioners' right to file isn't clear.

Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan heard the initial arguments. However, they postponed the case because representatives from the Union of India and the National Medical Commission (NMC) were not present. The Court has now asked for both parties to be informed so they can attend future hearings.

Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who is representing the petitioners, pointed out that 38 live surgeries were done just in the last month. Justice Kant noted the serious policy concerns, saying, "This has a very serious impact… and relates to state policy.” When a lawyer questioned if the petitioners had the right to file the PIL, Justice Kant replied, “For a serious issue, we don’t care about the locus.”

Dr. Rajiv Joshi, from the Medico Legal Society of India, asked to join the case. The Court allowed it, so the Society can now share its views.

This PIL was first brought up in front of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud in October 2023. It raises concerns about the ethics and safety of live surgeries, sometimes watched by up to 800 people. Petitioners say this can distract surgeons and put patients in danger. They also point out that other countries have banned this practice for similar reasons.

The petition argues that Live Surgery Broadcasts (LSB), especially by groups like the All India Ophthalmological Society, make it hard for patients to give proper consent. Often, patients from poorer backgrounds agree to these broadcasts because they are given free surgeries. They may not understand that the surgeon’s focus could be split if they know they are being watched live.

One example mentioned is from 2015, where a live surgery in a top hospital in Delhi led to a patient’s death. The petition claims that money from ads and sponsors is often the real reason behind these live surgeries, which are then shown at medical conferences. This, they argue, harms the quality of medical education and risks patient safety.

The petitioners want the NMC to create a special committee to monitor live surgery broadcasts and set clear rules to protect patients.