The National Medical Commission (NMC) told the Madras high court that if any doctor was found to be involved in conversion therapy- a controversial gender and sexual reorientation practice would be liable to be prosecuted for professional misconduct. Conversion therapy is regarded as pseudoscience.

The council took its stand while submitting a recommendation by a committee constituted to modify the MBBS syllabus so that medical students could be sensitised to the sexual orientations of people belonging to the LGTQIA+ community.

The committee had been appointed in adherence to a directive issued by Justice N Anand Venkatesh.

He said that in the recommendations, the committee made it very clear that any attempt/ interventions to change the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of a person, which was commonly referred to as conversion therapy and considered as professional misconduct on the part of the medical professionals under the Indian Medical Council, Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulation, 2002.

The court added that keeping in view the same; the NMC would be immediately directed to circulate the report of the expert committee and the recommendations made to all state medical councils across the country. The court also said that suomotu, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council as a respondent and also directed it to ensure compliance with the panel’s recommendation. The hearing was adjourned to April 8. The court’s order came on a plea by a lesbian couple, alleging harassment by the police and their parents.

The state medical council said that wherever necessary it can take disciplinary action for professional misconduct. It can take note of the recommendations of the expert committee and proceed with the action against the concerned medical professional.

Source: ET Healthworld