Legal Obligations of Medical Practitioners

Chapter 3 introduced the legal definitions and concepts of medical professions. This chapter presents the legal obligations imposed on medical practitioners by the Medical Practitioners Act. Dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and others also have legal obligations corresponding to their respective professional functions under their own acts. No medical practitioner who engages in medical practice may refuse any request for medical examination or treatment without legitimate grounds. As mentioned earlier, medical practitioners are of high public interest. They are tasked with “contributing to the improvement and promotion of public health through medical care and health guidance, thereby ensuring the healthy lives of the people.”