Medical law and ethics: notification of tuberculosis: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Medical law and ethics: notification of tuberculosis

Sample item

A private chest physician diagnoses sputum-positive pulmonary tuberculosis. Which statement about informing the public health authority is correct in India?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Notification is mandatory and is not a breach of confidentiality

Tuberculosis has been a notifiable disease in India since 2012, and every clinician, public or private, must notify each case to the health authorities. Such statutory disclosure is an accepted exception to confidentiality.

Option by option

  • A. Only drug-resistant cases must be notified

    All cases, not only drug-resistant ones, are notifiable.

  • B. Notification is mandatory and is not a breach of confidentiality (correct)

    Correct. Notification of TB is a statutory duty and an accepted exception to confidentiality.

  • C. Notification needs the patient's written consent first

    Patient consent is not needed for statutory notification.

  • D. Only government doctors must notify

    The duty applies to private as well as public clinicians.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Notification is mandatory and is not a breach of confidentiality. Tuberculosis has been a notifiable disease in India since 2012, and every clinician, public or private, must notify each case to the health authorities.

Why is "Only drug-resistant cases must be notified" not the answer?

All cases, not only drug-resistant ones, are notifiable.

Why is "Notification needs the patient's written consent first" not the answer?

Patient consent is not needed for statutory notification.

Why is "Only government doctors must notify" not the answer?

The duty applies to private as well as public clinicians.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical law and ethics: notification of tuberculosis in Forensic Medicine. Such statutory disclosure is an accepted exception to confidentiality.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Medical law and ethics: notification of tuberculosis?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.