All Doctors have to renew registrations with WB Medical Council: West Bengal Govt

Kolkata: In the backdrop of the CID nabbing fake doctors from different parts of West Bengal, the state government directed doctors to register themselves afresh, and renew and update their credentials with the state Medical Council.

"There are several doctors who have not renewed their registration with the Medical Council and there are also doctors who have stopped practising or have passed away. So we need to keep a tab on all those who are practising and who all are not. This will help us keep a check on the fake doctor issue," state council president Nirmal Maji said.

"We have asked all practising doctors to submit their registration numbers and certificates of MBBS and post-graduate degrees. They have been directed to submit any other course they have completed. In case of specialist doctors, they will also have to submit necessary credentials in their support," he said.

Stating that the Council presently has over 500 complaints pending in connection with the fake doctor issue, Maji said there could be over 1,000 doctors in the city alone while the number could be much more across the entire state.

He said the Council has been receiving complaints mostly from Howrah and North and South 24-Parganas districts, while in the city, complaints are about doctors in south Kolkata's Lansdowne area, Phoolbagan area in the eastern part of the city and from the Garia area in the outskirts.

Maji said the Council will soon start a helpline so that complaints can be lodged over phone.

So far, the West Bengal CID has arrested six persons as fake doctors and practising at renowned private as well as state-run hospitals.