The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has booked 10 alleged bogus doctors accused of practicing medicine without the required medical qualifications and/or registration with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC).
The action was part of a special drive against unlicensed medical practitioners after Crime Branch Unit 7, Ghatkopar, received information about people allegedly operating clinics without the required credentials.
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Police teams, in coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health officials, raided seven clinics across Bhandup, Jogeshwari, Borivli, Dahisar and Mankhurd, according to reports based on the police action.
The establishments identified in the police action included Santosh Health Clinic and Vinayak Health Clinic in Bhandup, Hamdam Dawakhana and Kohinoor Dawakhana in Jogeshwari, Ankush Ayurvedic Dawakhana in Borivli, Deepak Herbal Health Care Clinic in Dahisar and Samar Ayurvedic Dawakhana in Mankhurd, Mid-day reported.
According to the police, the accused were unable to produce valid medical degrees and were not registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council. The police further alleged that the accused were prescribing and administering allopathic, Ayurvedic and Unani medicines despite not having the required qualifications or registration.
A police officer cited by Hindustan Times stated that some of the practitioners claimed to specialise in ailments including sexually transmitted diseases, syphilis and other sexual health conditions, and allegedly charged patients high fees.
Police have also stated that some of the clinics were found to have expired Ayurvedic and Unani medicines which were seized during the raids. The seized material included medicine bottles, syringes, antibiotic tablets and other medical equipment with the total value estimated at around Rs 2.20 lakh, Mid-day reported.
An FIR has been registered at Bhandup Police Station under Sections 33 and 36 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioner's Act, 1961. Section 33 of the Act relates to restrictions on practicing medicine without being entered in a recognised medical register, while Section 36 deals with the unauthorised use of medical titles, descriptions or abbreviations, according to Hindustan Times report.
The case has been handed over to Crime Branch Unit 7, Ghatkopar, and further investigation is underway. The accused are facing allegations at this stage and their guilt has not yet been established in a court of law.
The case comes amid wider concerns over people allegedly practicing medicine without the necessary credentials. In a separate incident, Maharashtra Cyber recently uncovered another alleged medical credential fraud in which a medical representative was accused of hacking Maharashtra Medical Council records to help people with foreign MBBS degrees who had not cleared the required screening examination obtain the eligibility to practice.
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