Sahyadri Hospitals Clinical Psychologist accused of practising medicine without registration
Investigation
Pune: A clinical psychologist associated with Sahyadri hospitals in Pune is under investigation after a patient alleged that she was treated by someone falsely representing herself as a qualified medical doctor.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated an inquiry following a complaint filed by a resident on January 6, accusing the psychologist of practising medicine without being registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), HT reported.
The Hindustan Times reported that the complainant alleged that the psychologist misrepresented herself as a medical doctor and treated her for depression and other mental health issues without any legal authority. According to the complaint, the patient contacted the Sahyadri hospital’s call centre seeking mental health consultation and was given an appointment with the psychologist, whom she believed to be a registered doctor.
The complainant visited the hospital on November 29, 2025, and claimed that medicines were prescribed orally without any written prescription, dosage details, treatment notes, or medical records. She later alleged that a verification on the MMC’s official website showed that the practitioner was not registered as a medical doctor and did not possess any recognised medical qualification.
She further alleged impersonation, illegal medical practice, and gross negligence, stating that such unauthorised treatment could have caused serious harm to her mental health.
The complainant also claimed that two of her friends independently contacted the hospital call centre and were similarly given appointments with the same practitioner as a ‘doctor’. She said she possesses call recordings and message confirmations to support her claims.
Following the complaint, the PMC health department wrote to the Sahyadri hospitals and the psychologist on January 21, directing them to cooperate with the investigation. The civic body also asked the complainant to submit documentary evidence to support the allegations. The PMC sought details regarding the psychologist’s designation, educational qualifications, appointment records, medical documents related to the complainant, and information about her practice at other hospitals or online platforms. Officials said both the hospital and the psychologist sought eight days to submit their response.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer and in charge of the PMC’s anti-bogus doctors’ cell, told HT that the inquiry team did not find any written medical records related to the complainant or documents establishing that the psychologist was authorised to practise as a medical doctor during a hospital visit earlier this week.
“We have sought a detailed explanation and additional evidence from the complainant. Further action will be taken based on the explanation received and the findings of the ongoing probe,” he added.
Denying the allegations, the Sahyadri hospitals said they had received the PMC’s letter and were cooperating with the authorities. The hospital stated that the staff member works as a clinical psychologist, has not treated patients as a doctor, and has not prescribed medicines. It added that patient safety and ethical medical practices remain its priority, as reported by The Daily.
