Karnataka Medical Council: Dentists Not Permitted to Perform Hair Transplants, Cosmetic Procedures

Rapid Summary

• The Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) has issued an advisory on September 9, cautioning that dentists, dental surgeons, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons are not authorised to perform hair transplantation or aesthetic procedures.
• This action follows a clarification by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to the telangana Medical Council stating that such procedures require specialised training unavailable in dental curricula.
• NMC guidelines from September 2022 specify that only those with surgical training like MCh/DNB Plastic Surgery or MD/DNB Dermatology, were hair transplantation is part of their formal education, should undertake these procedures.
• The KMC warned clinical establishments against allowing unqualified personnel to perform such surgeries, citing legal consequences.
• Manjunath Hulmani, president of Indian Association of Dermatologists (IADVL) Karnataka branch, highlighted that the notification targets unqualified practitioners performing cosmetic interventions that pose risks to patients.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The KMC’s advisory aligns with national medical regulatory standards set by the NMC regarding who is qualified to perform complex cosmetic and hair transplant surgeries. By restricting these procedures to practitioners formally trained in plastic surgery or dermatology fields, this decision highlights patient safety concerns and aims at reducing complications from improperly performed interventions. Additionally, it reflects a growing awareness about standardising medical practices across India and curbing violations by untrained individuals in healthcare services-a trend necessary as cosmetic surgeries gain popularity in urban regions.

For healthcare institutions in Karnataka-and perhaps nationwide-this could prompt stricter enforcement of credentials among staff conducting such aesthetic treatments while boosting accountability through potential legal repercussions for violators.Link for more: The Hindu – Full Article