On 6 October 2026 the National Medical Commission issued its Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication, notice R-13014/01/2024-Ethics. They took effect at once. They cover Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, websites, Google listings, podcasts, sponsored posts and AI-made content (paragraphs 3.2 and 3.5).
The short version: teaching the public is allowed, and promoting yourself is not. The paragraph numbers below let you check every point against the notice yourself.
What every post needs
A doctor publishing on electronic media should disclose their name, qualifications, registration status and SMR or NMR registration number (Explanation III). A clinic's posts should give those same details for the doctor (Explanation IV). Put them in the post or the caption, as well as in the bio.
What is allowed
- Health education. Talks and content on public health and diseases, in your own name and designation, without promoting your employer (8.2 iii). It must not promote your practice or solicit patients (5.1).
- Formal announcements. Starting a practice, a change of address or type of practice, temporary absence, resuming practice, and your consultation fees (8.2 ii, 9.3). Keep these factual.
- Published research. Case studies in reputed medical journals (8.2 i).
- Greetings. On national or medical days, with no promotion in them (8.2 v).
- Pamphlets for patients at your clinic, with no guarantee or claim of being better than others (8.2 iv).
- Hospital facts. Name, location, departments, facilities, equipment, emergency services, accreditation and charges (8.3 i, 9.1).
What is banned
| Do not post | Where it says so |
|---|---|
| Patient testimonials, or asking for them, for promotion on social media | Explanation V |
| A testimonial or success story because the patient consented. Consent does not make it allowed | 6.2 |
| Before-and-after photos, surgical results, celebrity patients | 8.1 v |
| "Guaranteed cure", "100% success", "painless treatment", "miracle treatment" | 8.1 iii |
| Number of patients treated, or success rates, as a boast | 8.1 iii |
| "Best", "No.1", "leading", "most trusted", "top", unless independently verifiable | 8.1 ix |
| Fear-based marketing, or creating demand for tests and procedures | 8.1 i |
| Discounts, limited-period offers, contests, free procedures that draw people in | 8.1 x |
| Endorsing a drug, device, supplement or any product | 8.1 iv |
| Influencers or celebrities promoting your services | 8.1 xi |
| Bought followers, likes, reviews or manipulated search rankings | 8.1 xii |
| Any patient detail that can identify them: name, face, marks | 6.4, 7.4 |
The same message, written safely
| Risky | Safer |
|---|---|
| Best knee surgeon in the city. 5,000 successful surgeries. | Knee pain on stairs: three common causes, and when to see a doctor. |
| Painless root canal. Book today, 20% off this week. | What happens during a root canal, step by step. |
| Ignoring this symptom could kill you. Get tested now. | What this symptom can mean, and which signs need prompt care. |
Changing the words is not always enough. A steady run of educational posts ending in "book now" can still read as promotion. Under 5.1, the test is whether the content promotes your practice or solicits patients.
AI-made content
AI-generated promotional campaigns for commercial gain are prohibited, and any AI promotional content that is otherwise within the rules must carry a mark saying it came from AI (7.2). AI must never create or alter a patient's image, voice, testimonial or outcome (7.2 b).
If you work with an agency
This is the part marketers tend to skip. An agency does not protect you, because you remain responsible for content you commissioned or knowingly allowed (4.4). Doctors are told not to engage a third party for marketing medical services (8.1 ii), and paying an agency in a way linked to each patient obtained is barred (8.1 viii). A third party cannot do for you what you cannot do yourself (8.1 xi). If an agency sells "patients per month" or charges per lead, get advice before you sign.
Penalties
State Medical Councils act on violations after a show-cause notice (10.1, 10.2). The graded steps are a warning and mandatory ethics training for a first violation, censure and a monetary penalty for a second, and 3 to 6 months' suspension for a third. Serious violations such as misleading cure claims or digital mass solicitation can bring 6 to 12 months' suspension, and repeated violations can mean removal from the register for 1 to 3 years. Appeals go to the NMC's Ethics and Medical Registration Board within 60 days (11).
Five questions before you post
- Are my name, qualifications and registration number on it?
- Could someone identify a patient from it?
- Does it say or suggest I am better than other doctors?
- Would a worried person feel pushed to book something?
- If I removed my name, would it still be useful to the reader?
Ali Baksh writes this as a marketer who works with clinics, not as a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice. For a specific case, ask a healthcare lawyer or your State Medical Council. Hospitals should also check their state's Clinical Establishment rules.
Paste a caption into the free checker and see which words are risky.