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For hospitals and multi-speciality institutions in Kolkata

Hospital Marketing Agency In Kolkata, Built Around The NMC Rules

Hospitals and multi-speciality institutions need patients to find departments, doctors, facilities and practical details easily, without turning healthcare communication into promotional claims. The National Medical Commission's Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics, dated 6 October 2026, recognises factual institutional information as a permitted model and sets limits on promotion.

Medmatis is an NMC-compliant healthcare digital marketing agency in Kolkata: our work is built around the National Medical Commission's 2026 guidelines. Here is how those rules apply to hospitals, and what we do about them.

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The short answer

Hospitals may publish factual information about departments, doctors, facilities and charges. They may not turn it into superiority claims, outcome promises or promotional patient stories.

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

Which departments does the hospital have?A hospital website can list each department and its services in clear, factual terms that match the institution's real scope, without suggesting superiority or guaranteed outcomes (cl. 8.3, 9.1).
How do I find a specialist at the hospital?A factual doctor directory can show each doctor's name, qualifications, specialty, registration details and availability. It should use one consistent standard and not present chosen doctors as better than their colleagues (cl. 9.1; cl. 3.2, Explanations III and IV).
What are the hospital's visiting hours?Visiting hours, location and contact details can be published as factual information. The hospital must keep them current, because patients rely on them when planning a visit (cl. 8.3, 9.1).
How do I reach the hospital in an emergency?The website can show verified emergency contact and location details. They should be easy to find and free of frightening language or claims about outcomes (cl. 8.3, 9.1).
How do I book an appointment or contact the hospital?A hospital can publish verified contact details and explain how appointments and enquiries work. Make the route clear without urgency or inducement, and say how people's details will be used (cl. 8.3, 9.1; cl. 7.6).
How much does admission or treatment cost?A hospital may publish factual charges and explain what each figure covers. A package should not be framed as a reason to have care that is not needed (cl. 8.1 x, 8.3, 9.1).

The NMC rules that matter most for hospitals

The notice binds doctors and hospitals, and an agency does not remove that responsibility (cl. 4.4). These are the clauses we design around.

Allowed Factual information, not promotionClauses 8.3 and 9.1 describe a factual information model for hospitals. Department pages can explain services and facilities, but should not turn those facts into claims of superiority. Publish clear, current descriptions of what each department offers.
Allowed with care Doctor directories need one standardClause 9.1 treats a factual doctor directory as patient information, and clause 8.3 bars promotional portrayal of an individual doctor. List every doctor with the same fields: name, qualifications, specialty, registration details and availability. Avoid a "star doctor" layout that elevates one clinician.
Allowed with care Awards and rankings need evidenceClause 8.1 ix restricts claims such as "best", "leading" and "most trusted" unless they are objectively verifiable by a transparent, independent method. Name the awarding body, date and method for any award, or use a plain factual description instead.
Your responsibility The hospital remains responsibleUnder clause 4.4, using an agency does not remove the hospital's responsibility for content it authorised. Set an approval process for department pages, doctor profiles and campaigns. Medmatis drafts and checks; the institution reviews its own information.
Allowed with care Patient data needs careful handlingClause 7.4 bars sharing identifiable patient data, and clause 7.6 requires advertising that uses personal data to follow the IT Act and the DPDP Act. Treat enquiry forms, portals and messaging as data-handling decisions, and review them with the hospital's own advisers.
Allowed with care Equipment claims stay factualClause 3.2, Explanation II, allows factual information about equipment and diagnostic facilities. Describe what the hospital actually has, and avoid claims that a machine is "the most accurate", guarantees an outcome or makes the hospital superior.

What to publish, and what to leave out

Do

  • Department pages that describe real services
  • One doctor-directory format for every doctor
  • Visiting hours and emergency numbers, kept current
  • Awards named with the body, date and method

Don't

  • "Best" or "leading" with no proof
  • A "star doctor" placed above the rest
  • Promises about outcomes or equipment superiority
  • Patient stories, testimonials or bought reviews

How Medmatis works with hospitals

01 Website Development We structure hospital websites around departments, facilities, practical visitor details and consistent doctor profiles, so essential information is easy to find without promotional claims. Explore Website Development 02 AI Search & SEO We organise department and service pages around the questions people ask when researching a hospital, with accurate information and clear structure instead of guaranteed rankings. Explore AI Search & SEO 03 Content Marketing We write plain-language hospital information for review by the relevant clinical team, checking each piece for unsupported claims, unnecessary fear and promotional wording. Explore Content Marketing 04 Reputation Management We help hospitals keep their public information consistent and accurate across platforms, without buying reviews, scripting patient praise or using testimonials as proof of quality. Explore Reputation Management
What we won't do

We will not write claims that a hospital is the best, leading or most trusted; promise clinical outcomes; use patient stories or testimonials as promotional proof; or present one doctor as superior in a directory. We will not buy reviews or manipulate search visibility to mislead. Content needs the hospital's own review and approval. 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 hospitals

Can a hospital list all its doctors on its website?

Yes. Under the NMC's 2026 notice, a hospital may publish a factual doctor directory with names, recognised qualifications, specialties, registration details and availability (cl. 9.1). Doctor information on electronic media must follow the disclosure rules in cl. 3.2, Explanations III and IV. The directory should use one consistent standard and not promote chosen doctors over colleagues.

Can a hospital promote its equipment and technology?

A hospital may give factual information about its equipment and facilities (cl. 3.2, Explanation II; cl. 8.3, 9.1). The wording should describe what the hospital actually has. It should not claim that a machine is the most accurate, that technology guarantees a result, or that it makes the hospital superior. The hospital should verify technical descriptions before publication.

Can a hospital advertise health-check packages or discounts?

Factual disclosure of charges and packages is allowed if it is transparent and not misleading (cl. 8.1 x). Discounts, coupons, gifts and offers are barred where they are likely to encourage unnecessary care or amount to solicitation. A proposed package with uncertain implications should be reviewed with legal advice before it is published.

Who is responsible if an agency publishes wrong hospital information?

The hospital. Under cl. 4.4, using an agency does not by itself remove the institution's responsibility for content it authorised, commissioned or knowingly permitted. Medmatis drafts, structures and checks content, but the hospital verifies its own departments, doctors, facilities and accreditation details before publication and names who approves each page. Where the Clinical Establishments Act or a State Act conflicts with the guidelines, that law prevails (cl. 4.3).

Can a hospital show patient reviews or testimonials on its website?

Promotional patient testimonials and stories are barred, and patient consent alone does not make them acceptable (cl. 6.1, 6.2; for a hospital's doctors, cl. 8.1 v). Fake, paid or misleading reviews are barred for doctors and hospitals (cl. 3.2, Explanation V). Whether a particular review display is allowed depends on its purpose and presentation, so take legal advice first.

Can a hospital use WhatsApp, enquiry forms or patient portals?

These tools handle personal data, so cl. 7.4 and 7.6 apply: identifiable patient data must not be shared, and personal data must be handled under the IT Act and the DPDP Act. The hospital should decide what it collects, why, who can access it and how long it keeps it, and review privacy and security arrangements before launch. Medmatis can structure the public-facing journey.

Does Medmatis work with hospitals in Kolkata?

Yes. Hospitals and multi-speciality centres in Kolkata are a main focus of our work. It can cover the website, AI search and SEO, content marketing and reputation management, centred on factual institutional information under the NMC's 2026 guidelines. We promise no rankings, patient numbers or clinical outcomes, and the hospital approves what is published.

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

What can a hospital or clinic website say under the NMC guidelines? Can doctors use patient testimonials under the NMC's 2026 guidelines? What can doctors post on social media and WhatsApp under the NMC guidelines? Super-Speciality Hospital Marketing Nursing Homes & Daycare Marketing Multi-Speciality Clinic Marketing

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