THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Quack Cell formed by a group of young doctors has reported over 250 complaints about fraudulent medical practitioners across the state in just one year. While they have successfully exposed some quacks operating in private hospitals, the General Practitioners Association (GPA) claims their efforts have been largely ineffective, even after alerting the authorities. In light of a tragic incident involving the death of a doctor’s father due to treatment from a medical college dropout in Kozhikode, the group plans to petition the High Court for a foolproof mechanism to ensure that only qualified practitioners treat patients.
Complaints received by the Quack Cell include cases involving college dropouts, paramedics, unregistered foreign medical graduates, and practitioners from other medical systems practising modern medicine. Some quacks have even been found forging the medical registration numbers of licensed doctors. Around 7,000 new medical graduates are entering the state each year. Yet the environment remains conducive for unqualified individuals to practice without consequence in towns and rural areas of the state.
Dr Ashik Basheer, state president of the General Practitioners Association (GPA) pointed out that conditions are favourable for unqualified persons to practice medicine with impunity. He accused some private hospitals, including those run by senior doctors, of intentionally hiring unqualified personnel to cut costs. “We have presented credible information to various authorities, but none seem to know how to address the issue. District Medical Officers (DMOs) claim they have no authority over private hospitals,” Dr Ashik said.
Initially, the GPA filed 16 complaints with various Station House Officers, but they only received a response after escalating the matter to the Chief Minister’s Office. He noted that SHOs often contact hospital management, who share responsibility for questionable hiring practices, leading to informal settlements. In one instance, the GPA had to file a complaint against an inspector who allegedly accepted a bribe from a quack they had exposed.
According to the Medical Practitioners Act 2021, practising without proper registration in the state is illegal. Only those registered with the Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC) are authorised to practice medicine.
Following the 2019 death of a woman treated by someone with a fraudulent gynaecology certificate in Kollam, the health department recognised the need for a system that allows the public to verify doctors’ credentials. However, the KSMC still lacks a comprehensive mechanism to eliminate quacks, despite having the authority to take action against individuals and institutions.
Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) launched a National Medical Register (NMR) portal to create a national database of 13 lakh doctors. However, many doctors have reported difficulties with the registration process and long wait times for responses.
An official from the KSMC said that effective elimination of quacks requires support from hospitals and an alert public. Attempts to reach Dr K J Reena, Director of Health Services, for comment went unanswered.
PRACTISING WITHOUT MEDICAL REGISTRATION
A CRIME, SAYS HEALTH MIN
Health Minister Veena George stated that practising without medical registration is a crime and that it is the responsibility of hospital management to verify the credentials of their staff. “Under the Clinical Establishment Act, institutions must ensure that all personnel are appropriately qualified and registered. We will take all possible legal action in response to the Kozhikode incident. We request cooperation from everyone for the implementation of the Clinical Establishment Act,” she said.
IMA seeks action
The Indian Medical Association has called for stringent action against fake doctors. According to the Medical Council’s Code of Ethics, doctors are required to include their recognised degrees and Medical Council registration number on their boards, prescriptions, seals, etc., the association said in a press release. It is the responsibility of the management and the government to ensure that doctors and other staff are employed while verifying their qualification certificates, council registration and previous experience.