Soon in Maharashtra: Doctors to display QR codes at clinics, hospitals to verify credentials

The MMC is currently finalizing the details of the plan, which will affect the 1.8 lakh doctors registered with the council. This move is part of a broader effort by the semi-quasi-judicial body to ensure that only qualified professionals practice medicine. The MMC had previously decided to issue registration certificates with individual QR codes to prevent forgery and tampering with medical licenses.

Dr Vinky Rughwani, administrator at the MMC told The Indian Express, “Anyone who visits a doctor for consultation at his/her clinic can scan the QR code to verify the requisite qualification. This in a way will also help keep a check and prevent the practice of bogus doctors.”

“We do receive complaints from patients who have undergone treatment and have not recovered. In the past too, measures have been taken and now we are in the process of finalising the new project,” Dr Rughwani said

Dr Sandeep Yadav, Chairman of the Diagnostic Committee at the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has expressed strong support for the initiative. “For instance, in Sangli, we found that there were several laboratories that were not run by pathologists and were managed by technicians. Committee members need to proactively design strategies to prevent such illegal practices,” Dr Yadav said. He emphasized the importance of regular meetings for committees at the district and municipal levels to monitor and curb the practice of unlicensed doctors.

In a recent case in Pune, the municipal corporation’s health department took action against an individual posing as a doctor and illegally running a clinic in Karvenagar. Dr Suryakant Deokar, Assistant Medical Officer of Health at Pune Municipal Corporation, noted that the impostor was not registered with any medical council and was prescribing both Ayurvedic and allopathic medicines reports The Daily.

Dr Amit Dravid, an infectious diseases consultant talked about the importance of adopting strict measures to curb quackery. “It is important to get tough about quackery. Multiple issues need to be addressed; right from ensuring that the doctor’s registration number and degrees are displayed at the reception desk and on his/her prescription letter pad. Beyond this QR code initiative, more strategies need to be sternly implemented to check the malpractice,” Dr Dravid pointed out.

Dr Sanjay Patil, state secretary of IMA’s Hospital Board of India pointed out the prevalence of such cases in fringe rural areas. “Due to sustained efforts of the civic health department and the IMA, awareness has been stepped up about the practice of bogus doctors and there is a fair amount of vigilance in the urban areas,” he said.