Fake Doctors On The Rise In India? Here's How To Verify a Doctor's Credentials
The Indian medical sector is being caught by rampant exploitation of patients by doctors, especially fake and unprofessional ones. The prevalence of fake doctors has led to numerous cases of misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment and even harm to patients.
In recent times, the instances of fake doctors setting up clinics and hospitals and treating people unprofessionally have gone up, posing significant dangers to the healthcare system of the country.
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According to the Union Health Ministry, around 57.3% of personnel currently practicing allopathic medicine do not have a medical qualification.
In June this year, the Telangana State Medical Council busted a fake doctors racket and discovered many unqualified individuals impersonating doctors and treating patients throughout the Sangareddy district. The authorities found around 15 people treating patients at various locations without the required qualifications during raids conducted by a group of State Medical Council doctors.
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Many of those people had established clinics as RMPs, they lacked the necessary training for patient treatment, and their clinics were mainly located in industrial and slum regions, including Patancheru, IDA Bollaram, and Isnapur.
Although the majority of them established clinics as RMPs, they lacked the necessary training for patient treatment. Their clinics were primarily located in industrial and slum regions, including Patancheru, IDA Bollaram, Isnapur and other locations where migrant industrial workers resided.
Because these individuals couldn’t afford to see qualified doctors, they visited fake doctors for treatment. Srinivas stated that these untrained individuals were providing medicines on prescriptions bearing the name of another MBBS-qualified doctor. Apart from this, the group also discovered Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) qualified doctors who were practicing allopathy.
Earlier, District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO), Dr Gayathri, seized many clinics, nursing homes, and labs in the district for violating rules of the Medical Council of India.
In April this year, Madhya Pradesh had arrested a man named Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, alias Dr N John Kamm, for impersonating a UK-returned doctor. He was working as a cardiologist at a missionary hospital in Damoh, which allegedly led to the deaths of several people he treated.
In May, in Nagaland’s Dimapur, authorities detained a man who falsely claimed to be a trained doctor. He was arrested after years of practicing medicine without proper credentials. There have been several other cases too where individuals fake medical degree working at a government hospital.
To escape from the scam and protect their health, it is important that the patient needs to confirm if the doctor is registered with one. The Indian Medical Registry Search portal by the National Medical Commission (NMC) allows users to search for registered medical practitioners in the country. It provides access to verified information about doctors, ensuring transparency and trust in the medical profession.
If needed, the patients have to ask doctors for their registration number and cross-check it to avoid potential risk factors.
