"The life of the patient and the soul of the physician are always at risk" Rabbi Samuel Edels, 14th century Talmudic scholar Kurpad et al must be commended for raising an issue that is largely neglected in healthcare settings in developing countries. While boundary violation (BV) is an important issue in any clinical encounter, it assumes special significance in developing country settings: the relationship between the doctor and patient is heavily unbalanced towards the former and there is absence of any ethical or legal framework to address such issues.