Fake doctors under scanner as state plans stricter penalties and oversight panel

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The state government announced plans to form a committee to monitor bogus doctors and unauthorised nursing homes in Maharashtra. The panel will identify individuals practising medicine sans qualification and clinics operating without permission.

The government has also stated it plans to amend the existing law to increase penalties for such violations, including stricter fines and longer jail terms for fake doctors and illegally operating hospitals. The government has decided to form a committee to address this issue. It was noted quite rightly that bogus doctors and illegal clinics currently operate without fear of the law.

This is absolutely necessary. For fear of the law, this committee or any initiative to tackle this must demonstrate efficacy in nabbing the sham doctors/clinic operators. There must be absolute efficiency in this, thorough checks, follow-ups, acting on complaints. Once nabbed these must be put down on record, so that they are never allowed to set up any kind of practice again. Enablers/partners must also be nabbed as they are equally culpable.

One must remember that toying with health can be fatal. Punishments for the same must be commensurate with the crime. This is not simply a ‘fraud' case; you are playing with the lives of the people. The penalty must take into account the magnitude of this crime. We must also have a blacklist of these cons and bogus medical establishments, so that they cannot retry entering the medical field and start their bogus antics once again.