It was recently reported that 10 fake doctors were arrested in Vasai-Virar for allegedly practising allopathic medicine without proper qualifications and registration. As a result of their illegal activities, the clinics associated with these fake doctors were also sealed.

Illegal Occupation Discovered and Action Taken

• Dilipkumar Sheetal Prasad Sharma, 55, was practising allopathic medicines for the past seven years at the Sai Shraddha Polytechnique in Vasai East.
• Srinivasrao Doodhmal, health officer at VVMC, conducted a raid on Sharma’s clinic and demanded to see his medical degree and other educational certificates.
• Sharma was unable to provide the documents and was quickly arrested.
• 9 other doctors were also arrested in the past week for engaging in similar practices without the proper credentials.

The Role of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act

• Under the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961, medical qualifications and registration are required to practise allopathic medicine in the region.
• Those who fail to comply with these regulations may face legal consequences, including charges of cheating and related offenses.

Resident Response and Police Investigation

• Residents of the area have expressed shock upon learning that the doctors in question were not licensed.
• It was revealed that Sharma had worked as a compounder with Bipin Upadhyay and had opened his own clinic using Upadhyay’s name.
• The other fake doctors identified included Jagdish Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar Jha, Ankhadpratap Yadav, Sajru Nisha Gaisaddin, Santosh Jha, and Bhanu Shah.
• The police launched an investigation, noting that these fake doctors engaged in business after 5 PM to avoid getting caught by civic and government authorities.

Takeaways and Future Action

• Dr Bhakti Chaudhary, Chief Medical Officer of the VVMC, stated that although many bogus doctors have practised in Vasai, the civic body did not receive any complaint from anyone.
• The VVMC initiated a survey of suspicious clinics, and ten such clinics were identified.
• These clinics have been sealed, and awareness will be created among residents to keep a watch on doctors who do not display their degrees in their offices.