Credentials under Question! Delhi Medical Council Bars 2 Fortis Shalimar Bagh Doctors from Practising as Super Specialists

New Delhi: The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) has recently ordered two doctors at Fortis Hospital at Shalimar Bagh to refrain from claiming the status of neonatologists and practising as super-specialists.

Writing to the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, the medical council issued this direction after noting that as per the information available with the Council, these two doctors did not have the required medical qualification to be called a specialists. 

Back in 2019, these two doctors were accused of medical negligence- allegedly leading to unabated Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy along with "West Syndrome" in a child. Back then, the child's parents had alleged that the treating doctors did not have the required qualifications to practice as super-specialists.

Now, the medical council has informed that as per the information available with it, Dr. Akhilesh Singh is registered with the Delhi Medical Council holding only an MBBS qualification, and the other doctor, Dr. Vivek Jain, is registered with the Council holding MBBS and MRCP qualifications.

Therefore, considering the material on record and the information received from the UK General Medical Council regarding Dr. Jain, the Delhi Medical Council Executive Committee opined that pending further inquiry, both Dr. Singh and Dr. Jain "should refrain from claiming neonatologist status and practicing as super-specialists."

The Council further added that the credentials of these two doctors as qualified paediatricians are also pending inquiry.

Also Read: PG degree of 2 senior Fortis Neonatologist, Pediatrician under scrutiny: HC seeks response from NMC, Delhi Medical Council

Allegations of Medical Negligence and Plea in High Court:

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported on the issue of these two doctors, who had been accused of medical negligence while treating a child. Filing a plea before the Delhi High Court, the child's mother had alleged that negligence by those two treating doctors Dr. Jain and Dr Singh left her son bedridden for life. It was alleged that even though the doctors claimed to be specialists and super specialists, they did not hold the requisite qualifications.

The petitioner's plight started in August 2017 when her son Devarsh suffered brain injury in the said hospital. The injury became known after several months when the child grew. The child was born at Fortis in August 2017 and was initially declared unwell by the hospital immediately after the delivery through C-section.

It was submitted by the child's mother that the hospital had treated the patient for 12 days in the ICU and discharged him based on a wrong medical summary stating that he was normal. However, allegedly, the child was not healthy and later turned into a vegetable in the next 7 months. Filing the plea in 2019, the child's mother had informed the Court that the child was suffering from unabated Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy along with "West Syndrome".

The petitioner had alleged that the treating doctors had concealed the facts, and due to this, the child remained deprived of any medical treatment and kept suffering infantile spasm/seizures for more than seven months at home till his brain got completely damaged. This ultimately rendered the child permanently disabled, both mentally and physically. An FIR was also lodged in this case in 2019.

Earlier, while considering the matter, the Delhi HC bench headed by Justice Yogesh Khanna had directed the National Medical Commission (NMC), Delhi Medical Council (DMC), and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to look into post-graduate degrees of those two doctors, who were working as Child specialists/super-specialist at Fortis Hospital in Delhi.

Response from NMC: 

In response, NMC had informed the Court that those 2 senior doctors of Fortis Hospital did not have the recognised qualification to be called a child specialist. The Commission had informed that it did not even have the additional qualification of another doctor making him a neonatologist and therefore, the Commission had requested the Court to get it from the Delhi Medical Council. 

Addressing the issue of Dr. Singh, NMC had admitted before the Court that he had obtained registration by the Delhi Medical Council only based on his MBBS qualification. According to NMC, except for MBBS, Dr Singh’s all other qualifications were unrecognised. "...there is no Additional Qualification Registration granted to Dr Akhilesh Singh on the basis of which he could be considered as a specialist," NMC had informed the Court.

Regarding Dr. Jain, NMC submitted that the medical council granted registration for his MBBS degree and additional registration for his Membership of MRCPCH, but the Commission was only aware of his MBBS degree. Back then, NMC had also stated that primarily registrations are granted by the State Medical Councils on their State Medical Registers and requested the Court to examine DMC's affidavit to find out if additional registration norms had been complied with.

DMC's Letter to Fortis Hospital:

In its recent letter addressed to the Fortis Hospital Medical Superintendent, the Delhi Medical Council has now informed that the Council noted that neither of the two doctors and even the Medical Superintendent provided a reply to the complaint. 

"I am directed to inform you that the Executive Committee of the Delhi Medical Council in its meeting held on 19th May, 2025, after the deliberations on the complaint filed by Shri Sachin Jain against Dr. Vivek Jain and Dr. Akhilesh Singh of Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, has noted that despite notice dated 04th April, 2025 and requesting an extension vide letter dated 21st April, 2025, neither the doctors nor the Medical Superintendent provided a reply," read the letter.

Based on the information available with the DMC, the Council mentioned the following:

1. Dr. Akhilesh Singh is registered with the DMC under registration no.25712 dated 27.01.2005, holding an MBBS qualification only. He thus cannot claim himself to be a specialist.

2. Dr. Vivek Jain is registered with the DMC under registration no.24288 dated 05.08.2004, holding MBBS and MRCP qualifications.

Therefore, considering the material on record and the information received from the UK General Medical Council, the Executive Committee of DMC opined that pending further inquiry, both doctors should refrain from claiming neonatologist status and practice as super-specialists.