The National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced new guidelines to regulate how doctors, hospitals and medical institutions advertise their services in India. The rules aim to prevent misleading health claims, curb commercial promotion of medical care and protect patients from exaggerated treatment promises.
Issued on October 6, 2026, the guidelines apply to conventional advertising as well as digital platforms, including social media, influencer-led campaigns and AI-assisted promotional content.
No Misleading Claims or Celebrity Endorsements
Under the new rules, doctors and hospitals cannot use patient testimonials, celebrity endorsements or influencer recommendations to promote medical services. Claims such as “No. 1 doctor,” “100% success,” “miracle treatment” and “guaranteed cure” are also restricted unless they can be objectively verified.
The guidelines further prohibit the use of fake or paid patient reviews, manipulated ratings and artificial social media engagement intended to create a misleading impression of a medical professional’s reputation.
Restrictions Extend to AI-Generated Promotions
The guidelines address the growing use of artificial intelligence in healthcare marketing. Doctors and hospitals cannot use AI to create deceptive representations of treatment outcomes, patient experiences or professional qualifications.
They are also prohibited from using AI to manipulate patient photographs, testimonials or voices, or to generate endorsements that falsely appear to come from real people. AI-assisted content must meet applicable transparency, privacy and professional-ethics requirements.
What Doctors and Hospitals Can Still Share
The rules do not prohibit all public communication about healthcare. Doctors can continue sharing factual health education, participating in public-awareness discussions and making certain formal announcements, such as opening a practice or changing their address.
Hospitals and medical institutions can publish verifiable information about their location, departments, facilities, equipment, emergency services, accreditation and charges, subject to applicable laws.
However, such communication must not become a means of soliciting patients, making exaggerated claims or promoting one practitioner as superior to others without verifiable evidence.
Patient Images and Promotional Offers Face Restrictions
Doctors and hospitals cannot use patient stories, before-and-after photographs or surgical results for promotional purposes in ways prohibited by the guidelines. Patient information must also be handled in accordance with privacy, consent and confidentiality requirements.
The rules restrict discounts, coupons, gifts, referral benefits and similar inducements when they encourage unnecessary consultations, diagnostic tests or treatments, or amount to improper patient solicitation. Commissions and referral payments linked to the promotion of medical services are also prohibited.
How Will the Rules Be Enforced?
The guidelines took effect immediately and are intended to establish common ethical standards for doctors and healthcare institutions.
Registered medical practitioners may face disciplinary or corrective action for violations. For hospitals, enforcement is linked to applicable laws governing clinical establishments and other relevant legislation, with state-level implementation playing an important role.
The effectiveness of the new framework will depend on how consistently violations are identified and addressed. Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that healthcare decisions are guided by reliable medical information rather than aggressive marketing.