Report stating 57 percent fake doctors in India Erroneous: Centre Slams WHO

He further said Section 15 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 prohibits a person other than medical practitioner enrolled on a state medical register to practice in the state.

Since health is a state subject, the primary responsibility to deal with cases of quacks (fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill) lies with respective state governments, he said.

Keeping in view the above, the Central government has requested the chief ministers of all states to take appropriate action against quacks and evolve suitable policies to ensure availability of quality health workforce in rural areas, he said.

A WHO report released in 2016, had claimed that 31 percent of those who claimed to be allopathic doctors in 2001 were educated only up to the secondary school level and 57 percent did not have any medical qualification.

The study also highlighted that just 18.8 percent of allopathic doctors in rural India had medical qualification.