SC seeks response from Centre, NMC over live surgery broadcast; petitioners say it’s like Virat Kohli batting and commentating simultaneously

After hearing the submissions, the apex court issued notice on the petition and posted it for hearing after three weeks.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea raising legal and ethical questions over live broadcast of surgical procedures, with the petitioners likening it to Virat Kohli batting and commentating at the same time.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud issued notices to the Centre and others, including the National Medical Commission (NMC), seeking their replies on the petition filed by some Delhi residents.

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The bench, also comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, noted that the petitioners have sought a direction to the NMC to appoint a committee to regularly monitor broadcast of live surgeries and for framing guidelines about it.

The bench said it will leave the issue to be considered by the NMC.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioners, said surgeries are being performed live with several people watching and asking a doctors conducting the procedure questions.

“This is like Virat Kohli batting and also giving commentary,” he told the bench, adding live broadcast of surgical procedures posed a huge risk to patients under the knife.

He referred to a news report about the death of a patient whose surgery was being broadcast live, and said in some cases, people belonging to lower economic strata are induced to go for it.

The petitioners claimed advertisements and sponsorships were the main motivations for conducting such procedures.

Sankaranarayanan said such broadcast also raises serious ethical concern about informed consent since patients are seldom told that the surgeon’s attention may be divided between the surgery and the audience to whom it is being broadcast live.

After hearing the submissions, the apex court issued notice on the petition and posted it for hearing after three weeks.