Code of Professional Conduct

Patients are entitled to good doctors. Good doctors make the care of patients their first concern; they are competent, keep their knowledge and skills up to date, establish and maintain good relationships with patients and colleagues, are honest and trustworthy and act with integrity.

In the Maldives, there are very limited medical regulations and literally no laws to govern the profession and its practice and hence the need for these developments are immense. Indeed, professionals, institutions and individuals can take initiatives to change the existing culture. It is very easy to declare that nothing is there, but to put an effort to develop proper Codes is what is needed. The legal process of a healthcare act is on the bench, but when these legal frameworks are made, the sensitivities and specificities of the community in which it will be practiced will also have to be looked into. Such regulations and legislation should aim to mutually protect both the patient and the provider.

In the Maldives, the change process can happen concurrently. While the Laws are being developed, guidelines and codes can also be developed simultaneously. The Maldives Medical Council and the healthcare providers together can play an important role to ensure that these practices are made the norm in the country.

Here at ADK Hospital, we believe that we cannot wait hoping that these documents and practices will be developed, but rather, we believe that we can be a part of this change by setting these standards in the country. It is with this aim, the Hospital has developed a Code of Professional Conduct that has been issued and put to practice at the Hospital. The standards in the Code sets out principles in relation to a practitioner’s

• Clinical competence and performance
• Professional and ethical obligations
• Relationships with colleagues and
• Probity in professional practice

It is now expected that all doctors practicing in the Hospital to follow this code. This will also be used as part of the performance assessment of clinicians in the future. However, change of this sought will take time for professionals to adapt to and settle into a change in paradigm.

It is noteworthy that this code was developed based on a set of guidelines adapted from the Australian and New Zealand Codes with the permission from the Australian Medical Council, the New South Wales Medical Board and the Medical Council of New Zealand.

Read the full Code