How to Identify Quacks? Delhi Medical Council issues guidelines, notifies HC
Fake Doctors Caught in Telangana
New Delhi: The Delhi Medical Council (DMC) recently informed the Delhi High Court about the methods that citizens can use to verify the credentials of their doctors. These guidelines to identify quacks come amidst the growing concerns over quackery and unqualified medical practitioners operating in the National Capital.
The citizens can check QR codes on displayed certificates, check the credentials of their doctors by using online verification tools available on its website, Delhi Medical Council has informed the HC.
The Medical Council informed about the methods to identify quacks while the HC was hearing a plea filed in December 2023 by Advocate Sachin Jain, who cited the case of Neeraj Aggarwal, a self-styled surgeon who was arrested last year in November for allegedly conducting botched surgeries that resulted in multiple deaths.
Later, during the investigation, police found that the surgeries at the doctor's clinic were being conducted by lab technicians, and that Aggarwal himself was not qualified to undertake a surgery as he had only an MBBS degree.
Also Read:Delhi 'surgery scam': Police probing likely involvement of another doctor
Addressing the issue of quackery, the plea stated, "There is an unchecked rise of quackery in Delhi," further adding that "Quacks, often lacking legitimate medical qualifications, have seized the opportunity presented by lax oversight and compromised integrity of the State Medical Council. These unscrupulous practitioners operate with dangerous disregard for established medical protocols, putting the lives of unsuspecting patients at severe risk."
It further added that the proprietor of Agarwal Medical Centre posed as a specialist doctor and allegedly performed around 3,000 surgeries in a single calendar year despite not having the required qualifications.
Taking note of the plea, the HC bench had asked the Delhi Medical Council to suggest concrete measures to help patients to verify the credentials of doctors.
Now, in response to the Court's directions, Delhi Medical Council has informed the Court that all physicians registered with the council are mandated to include their registration numbers on prescriptions, medical certificates, and payment receipts issued to the patients. Hindustan Times has reported that the Council also stated that the doctors have been instructed to use only the recognised medical degrees or certifications as suffixes to their names. They are not permitted to claim specialist status unless they possess qualifications in that particular branch of medicine, informed the Delhi Medical Council.
It also informed the Court that to enable patients to verify this information, the Council on its website has made available two digital tools- 'Verification of Doctor's Registration' and 'Search Your Doctor'.
Delhi Medical Council informed the Court that these portals allow the users to access a doctor's details, including their name, registration number, registration and expiry dates, academic qualifications, and clinic address.
Additionally, DMC informed that the doctors registered with Delhi Medical Council are issued with a registration certificate that carries an embedded QR code, using which, the patients can verify their credentials. The patients have to scan the code to instantly access the key credentials of the doctor, including their name, photograph, registration number, and verified qualifications.
The Council informed the HC bench that these steps are designed to empower citizens with accurate information and help prevent incidents of medical fraud.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the plea in HC was moved by five petitioners. Out of them, one is a 6-year-old disabled child who sustained a brain injury at the hands of doctors of a private hospital in Delhi where he received treatment in the Neonatal ICU soon after his birth. The damage has caused him cerebral palsy and epilepsy. He eventually acquired a rare medical condition called "West Syndrome" and has been rendered vegetative for life. Rest four petitioners are also victims of medical malpractice and some also have lost their loved ones due to the medical malpractice.
The plea has been moved through Advocates Sachin Jain, Ajay Kumar Aggarwal and Sukrit Seth further seeking court direction to set up a High Powered Committee which may consist of Retd. Judges and independent reputed members of society monitor the process of verification, in order to ensure that the process of re-verification of doctors is done in a fair, ethical and transparent manner.
Filing the plea, the petitioners had alleged that there is an unchecked rise of quackery in Delhi. Quacks, often lacking legitimate medical qualifications, have seized the opportunity presented by the lax oversight and compromised the integrity of the State Medical Council.
Further, the plea alleged that these unscrupulous practitioners operate with a dangerous disregard for established medical protocols, putting the lives of unsuspecting patients at severe risk.
The plea stated sought an urgent intervention of the Court in view of the recent news reports published in print as well as electronic media highlighting the fake doctors' scam at a nursing home in Delhi, NCR, and the manner in which the regulatory body had been letting them off on repeated occasions, which eventually led to the death of the various victims.
