Every week, a doctor somewhere in India posts something that leads to a complaint. Sometimes it is a before-and-after photo. Sometimes it is a happy patient's message. Sometimes it is simply their own photograph with their qualifications - "proud to announce". None of these seem wrong to the person posting them. Under the National Medical Commission (NMC) code of medical ethics, all of them are.
This article is the complete prohibited list, in plain language. It covers what Indian doctors must never post online, why the rule exists, and the safe alternatives that build the same trust without the risk.
1. Self-Advertising in Any Form
The foundation rule: a physician shall not advertise their services or solicit patients, directly or indirectly. In practice this means no posts that promote you - your name, your photograph, your qualifications, your achievements, your clinic's "brand". The clause that catches most doctors is the indirect one: advertising through a page, a friend, an agency or a third-party platform is still advertising.
2. Patient Photos, Case Details and Reports
No patient photos, videos, scan reports, prescriptions or case details. The doctor-patient relationship is confidential, and posting anything identifiable - even with verbal or written consent - is widely treated as a serious ethical breach. Consent to treatment is not consent to publicity. A photograph that shows a patient's face, even after a successful treatment, is a photograph you should not post.
3. Before-and-After Treatment Images
Dermatologists, dentists and plastic surgeons see these constantly. Before-and-after images are the clearest form of result-claiming a doctor can make, and they are treated as advertising material. They imply guaranteed outcomes, which no ethical medical professional can promise. If a patient voluntarily shares their own before-and-after photos on their own account, that is their choice - you must not repost, share or amplify it.
4. Patient Testimonials and Success Stories
Screenshots of "thank you" messages, stories about successful treatments, review screenshots, patient names in thank-you posts - all prohibited when used for promotion. Testimonial material implies solicitation and personal publicity, both of which the code forbids. There is a separate, nuanced question of what to do about organic reviews on platforms like Google and Practo - covered in our guide to what is allowed with patient testimonials.
5. Cure Claims and Guaranteed Outcomes
No post may claim that a treatment "cures", "fixes" or "eliminates" a condition, and no post may guarantee results. Beyond the ethics code, the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act restricts advertising of remedies for a schedule of serious diseases - including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and tuberculosis. A well-meaning awareness post about treating diabetes with your method can violate both laws.
6. Discounts, Offers and Urgency Tactics
"Free consultation this week", "50% off your first visit", "only 5 slots left" - these are solicitation by another name. Soliciting patients, directly or indirectly, is the very act the code exists to prevent. If a post exists to get people to book with you, it is solicitation, no matter how it is worded.
7. Medicine and Product Endorsements
Doctors endorsing medicines, supplements, devices or health products on social media sit in a dangerous intersection of ethics law, the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act and consumer protection law. Endorsements with financial interest are particularly risky. Even an unpaid "I recommend this vitamin brand" can be treated as product advertising by a medical professional.
8. Competitor Comparisons and Criticism
Never name, criticise or compare other doctors, hospitals or treatment approaches in public. Not only is it unprofessional, but comparative statements are among the easiest things to bring before a council, and they rarely end well for the person who posted. You also cannot respond to a competitor's criticism of you - the professional response is silence and a respectful private conversation.
What You CAN Post (The Safe List)
The same platforms that carry risk carry opportunity. Doctors can safely post:
• Educational explanations of conditions, symptoms and treatments in general terms
• Myth-busting and misinformation corrections (without naming anyone)
• Public health messages, awareness days and vaccination information
• Practical clinic information - address, hours, appointment process
• Reposts of credible public health institutions (WHO, ICMR, health ministry)
• General lifestyle and preventive-health guidance
The Final Checklist
Before hitting publish, ask one question: does this post promote me, my results or my bookings? If yes, delete it. If the post educates, informs or helps - post it, and watch patients find you.
If you are not sure whether your current social media pages are compliant, or you want a professional audit of what you have posted so far, book a free strategy call with PraxGain. Every marketing plan we build for doctors is NMC-compliant by default - your registration is never part of the price of growth.
