Dentist, Wife with ANM degree booked for deceiving Patients with Fake Dental Treatments

Pune: In a shocking incident, a registered dentist and his wife, who holds an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) degree, have been charged with allegedly deceiving people by offering fake dental treatments at their clinic for the past five years, despite lacking the necessary medical certificates and valid documents.

According to the police, the husband is also facing charges for aiding his wife in continuing the alleged fraud since 2019. He is accused of supporting her in treating patients without proper registration with the medical council and without the necessary expertise in the field, all for financial gain.

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The duo were caught red-handed after a four-member committee team raided the clinic and found them practising at Harirup Dental Care, Manchar which was operated by the couple. Although the husband was a registered and qualified dentist, his wife engaged in unethical practices, providing treatments and prescribing medications that could potentially endanger the patients seeking care at their clinic.

During the raid, the woman was asked for valid documents but she failed and only showed a degree of Auxiliary Nurse Midwife, a nursing education course from the Maharashtra Nursing Council, Mumbai.

As per the HT news report, the incident came to light after a patient developed health issues following a treatment at their clinic. On November 19, 2024, the patient visited the couple and sought dental treatment from the wife who has been portraying herself as a registered dentist since 2019. The accused wife checked the patient, conducted screening tests and prescribed him medicines. She charged him Rs 1,200 for the treatment.

Subsequently, the patient approached the Taluka Health Officer (THO) of Manchar tehsil and explained the matter. Accordingly, the THO Dr Chandrakant Chapate, on behalf of the health department initiated an investigation and caught the duo.

“After the treatment, the patient developed health issues and filed a complaint with us. A four-member committee was appointed to conduct the probe and visited the clinic on November 28. During the investigation, it was found that the woman did not possess any valid medical degree or registration certificate. She showed us an original certificate indicating she had completed nursing education (ANM) from the Maharashtra Nursing Council, Mumbai. However, this certificate is not valid for practising medicine under the MMP Act 1961,” said Dr Chapate.

After collecting the evidence, Dr Chapate filed a complaint at the police station and a case was registered against the couple under section 33 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act 1961 (which prohibits medical practice by unregistered persons) and sections 318, 319 and others of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023.

Speaking to HT, Senior police inspector Shrikant Kankal said "The complaint was filed by the THO based upon which, the couple has been booked. The investigation is underway, and further action will be decided after the probe is completed. No arrests have been made."

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