A simple smartphone scan could soon become a powerful tool against fake medical practitioners in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Medical Council has launched a QR code-based verification system called 'Know Your Doctor' that allows citizens to instantly check whether a doctor is legally authorised to practise, reported IANS.

Announcing the initiative in the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif said, "by scanning the QR code, citizens can instantly verify whether a doctor is legally registered to practise," Mushrif told the Assembly. The minister said the system would also help tackle the problem of bogus doctors operating across the state.