Book a strategy call

For diagnostic, pathology and imaging centres

Digital Marketing For Diagnostic & Imaging Centres In Kolkata, Built Around The NMC Rules

Diagnostic and imaging centres compete on convenience, location and price, which makes health-check packages and equipment claims tempting. Patients need clear information on tests, preparation, charges and report access, not promises about accuracy or pressure to undergo investigations. The NMC's Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, dated 6 October 2026, sets boundaries for medical advertising; its direct reach to stand-alone centres needs legal review.

Medmatis is an NMC-compliant healthcare digital marketing agency in Kolkata: our work is built around the National Medical Commission's 2026 guidelines. Whether those guidelines bind a stand-alone diagnostic centre directly is a legal question, so here is how we apply their principles to diagnostic centres. How we approach the rules.

New to the NMC rules? Start here →

The short answer

Diagnostic centres can provide factual test information and preparation guidance. Avoid unsupported accuracy claims and fear-led packages. Whether the NMC notice binds stand-alone centres directly needs legal advice.

Updated 23 October 2026. Based on the NMC's Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics of 6 October 2026. Not legal advice.

What patients ask before they choose

How should I prepare for a diagnostic test?A test guide can set out the preparation instructions confirmed by the centre's clinical team and say where to check test-specific requirements. Do not present one set of instructions as right for every person or test, and send individual questions to a healthcare professional.
Where can I get an MRI scan in Kolkata?A centre can publish verified details of whether MRI is available, its address, hours, appointment process and how to enquire. Describe equipment accurately and avoid calling a scanner "most accurate" or guaranteeing a diagnosis (cl. 3.2, Explanation II).
Is home sample collection available?If the centre offers it, publish the service area, booking process and charges only after verification. Do not imply every test suits home collection or use it to encourage unnecessary testing, and keep booking data secure (cl. 7.4, 7.6).
What does a full-body health check-up cost?A centre can publish factual charges and explain what a package includes. Do not suggest everyone needs the same investigations or use fear to push a package. Offers and discounts need review where they could encourage unnecessary testing (cl. 8.1 i, x).
How can I access my diagnostic report?Explain the verified process for receiving reports, the access route and whom to contact if one is delayed. Never publish identifiable reports as marketing. Review report access, sharing and storage for privacy and data-protection duties (cl. 7.4, 7.6).
How do I compare diagnostic and imaging centres?Patients can compare which tests are offered, location, hours, preparation instructions, charges and report delivery. Avoid claims that a centre or its equipment is "most accurate" or "best", and verify technical details first (cl. 3.2, Explanation II; cl. 8.1 ix).

The NMC rules that matter most for diagnostic and imaging centres

The notice addresses registered medical practitioners and medical institutions. Whether it reaches a stand-alone diagnostic centre directly needs legal advice (see the last rule), and we apply its principles as a standard either way. Using an agency does not remove the clinic's own responsibility for what is published.

Allowed with care Describe equipment without accuracy claimsClause 3.2, Explanation II, allows factual information on equipment and diagnostic facilities, without superiority, guaranteed accuracy or outcomes, or comparisons. Describe the scanner, imaging modality or test factually. Do not call equipment the "most accurate", and have the clinical team check technical claims.
Allowed with care Avoid packages that push unnecessary testsClause 8.1 i bars fear-based marketing and 8.1 x bars discounts and inducements likely to encourage unnecessary care or amount to solicitation. Publish verified package contents and charges, but do not imply everyone needs a full-body check-up or use urgency to push tests. Review each offer's clinical purpose and wording.
Your responsibility Protect reports and patient informationClauses 7.4 and 7.6 address identifiable patient data and personal data in advertising. Report delivery, online access, booking forms and home-collection requests can involve sensitive information. Review access controls and sharing, and never publish identifiable reports or patient details as promotional proof.
Your responsibility Keep test preparation information accuratePreparation guides answer practical questions, but the clinical team should verify the instructions and tailor them to each test. Avoid generic directions that may not apply to every patient. Make clear where patients confirm their own instructions, because a marketing page is not personal medical advice.
Allowed Keep service and fee information factualClauses 8.3 and 9.1 allow factual institutional information. Keep available tests, hours, charges, contact details and report procedures current. Do not turn them into unsupported superiority claims or imply a test is necessary for every visitor.
Your responsibility Who the notice coversThe notice applies to registered medical practitioners (cl. 3.7, 4.1) and to hospitals and medical institutions, which can include clinical establishments (cl. 3.4, 4.3). Whether a stand-alone diagnostic centre is covered depends on its legal status. Take legal advice; we apply the notice's principles as a standard.

What to publish, and what to leave out

Do

  • Publish test-specific preparation instructions
  • Verify equipment and service descriptions
  • Disclose accurate charges and package contents
  • Protect reports and personal information

Don't

  • Claim equipment is the "most accurate"
  • Push full-body check-ups through fear
  • Publish identifiable reports as promotional proof
  • Assume every centre has identical obligations

How Medmatis works with diagnostic and imaging centres

01 AI Search & SEO We organise diagnostic pages around test availability, location, preparation questions and report access, helping people find accurate information, not through fake engagement or accuracy claims. Explore AI Search & SEO 02 Website Development We structure pages for imaging, laboratory services, verified charges, hours and report-access instructions. The centre confirms service details and reviews how forms and report routes handle data. Explore Website Development 03 Content Marketing We develop preparation guides and test explainers with instructions checked by the centre's clinical team, avoiding universal advice and messaging that encourages unnecessary testing. Explore Content Marketing 04 Email & Recall Marketing We help organise service reminders and report-related messages with attention to consent, relevance and privacy. The centre confirms its legal basis and security first. Explore Email & Recall Marketing
What we won't do

We will not create diagnostic campaigns built around unsupported accuracy claims, fear-based check-up offers or pressure to undergo unnecessary investigations. We will not use patient reports as promotional proof or describe equipment in ways that imply guaranteed results. We flag uncertainty about the notice's reach to stand-alone centres. We never price our work per patient or per enquiry (cl. 8.1 vii, viii).

Read our guide to the rules and how we approach them.

Questions from diagnostic and imaging centres

Can a diagnostic centre advertise a full-body health-check package?

Review the package and its promotion first. Clause 8.1 x bars discounts and inducements likely to encourage unnecessary care or amount to solicitation, and 8.1 i bars fear-based marketing. A factual list of tests and charges differs from suggesting everyone needs the same investigations. Confirm the clinical rationale and take legal advice where coverage is uncertain.

Can we say our MRI or imaging equipment is the most accurate?

Avoid it without proof. Clause 3.2, Explanation II, allows factual equipment information without superiority, guaranteed accuracy or outcomes, or comparisons, and clause 8.1 ix bars "best"-type claims unless objectively verifiable. Describe the modality and service factually, and do not imply a machine guarantees a diagnosis.

Can we promote our home sample collection service?

You can publish verified details of an available service: service area, booking method, charges and availability. Do not imply every test suits home collection or use convenience to encourage unnecessary testing. Review how addresses, contact details and other booking information are protected (cl. 7.4, 7.6).

Does the NMC notice apply to a stand-alone diagnostic centre?

Do not assume it does. The notice addresses registered medical practitioners (cl. 3.7, 4.1) and medical institutions, which can include clinical establishments (cl. 3.4, 4.3). Whether a stand-alone centre is covered depends on its legal status and the practitioners involved. Take legal advice before making a compliance statement.

How should a centre handle online report delivery?

Design it around privacy and secure handling. Clauses 7.4 and 7.6 address identifiable patient data and personal data. Confirm who can access reports, how identity is verified, how information is shared and what safeguards apply. Never publish patient reports or identifiable details as marketing content.

Can a diagnostic centre pay doctors for referrals?

Treat it as barred. Clause 8.1 vii bars commissions, rebates, gifts and referral fees connected with the referral or procurement of patients in relation to promoting medical services, and 8.1 viii bars structuring agency payment around procuring patients. Calling it a marketing expense does not change that; take legal advice on any arrangement.

Does Medmatis work with diagnostic centres in Kolkata?

Yes. We help diagnostic and imaging centres in Kolkata with factual service pages, test-preparation guides, search optimisation and consent-aware communication, applying the principles of the NMC's guidelines. Whether the notice binds a stand-alone centre directly is a legal question, so we flag it. We promise no rankings, patient numbers or results.

These answers explain a public notice in plain language and quote its clause numbers. They are not legal advice. Read the original NMC notice and take advice on your own situation. Last updated 23 October 2026.

Keep reading

Can doctors offer discounts or packages under the NMC guidelines? What can a hospital or clinic website say under the NMC guidelines? Is SEO banned for doctors under the NMC's 2026 guidelines? Super-Speciality Hospital Marketing Multi-Speciality Clinic Marketing Nursing Homes & Daycare Marketing

Let us help your patients choose with confidence.

A focused conversation about your practice and what you would like to improve.

Book a strategy call →
Call WhatsApp