The Government has introduced strict advertising rules that prevent doctors and other health professionals from using discounts, patient testimonials and unproven cure claims to attract clients.
The restrictions appear in the Health Professions (Advertising) Regulations, 2026, published under Statutory Instrument 170 of 2026. They cover promotional content across newspapers, radio, television and social media.
Under the new rules, healthcare providers cannot guarantee treatment success or exaggerate the benefits of their services. They also cannot claim superiority over competitors without a legitimate basis.
Furthermore, practitioners cannot promote secret, exclusive or miraculous treatments without credible scientific evidence. The regulations also prohibit patient testimonials and endorsements, even when patients genuinely support the services.
Authorities have also banned advertisements that exploit fear, anxiety or patients’ limited medical knowledge. Offensive, sensational, indecent and discriminatory promotional content is prohibited.
Discounts, Referral Payments and Patient Solicitation Prohibited
The regulations prevent healthcare providers from offering discounts, gifts, rebates, rewards or competition prizes to attract patients.
Practitioners also cannot receive commissions or other benefits for referring patients, recommending products or promoting another business. They cannot share professional fees with individuals who did not personally provide or directly participate in the billed services.
Section 7 prohibits practitioners from soliciting patients through unsolicited approaches, pressure, persuasion or other direct and indirect methods. Meanwhile, unregistered individuals and institutions cannot advertise professional health services.
These restrictions aim to limit promotional practices that could influence patients’ healthcare decisions. They also establish boundaries for how registered practitioners and institutions market their services.
Radio and Television Adverts Face Strict Limits
The regulations introduce specific requirements for healthcare advertisements broadcast on radio and television.
Each advert must run for no longer than 30 seconds. Advertisers cannot use background music, dramatic sound effects, voice modulation or other persuasive production techniques.
Broadcast advertisements must also conclude with a prescribed spoken disclaimer. This requirement adds another condition to how healthcare providers present promotional messages to the public.
Section 13 further restricts advertising frequency across different media. Practitioners and healthcare institutions may advertise in the same newspaper or print publication no more than twice monthly.
The same frequency limit applies to radio and television advertisements broadcast on the same station or channel. Consequently, healthcare providers must review their marketing strategies to ensure compliance with the new regulations.
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