West Bengal Health Department probes 5 accused of using fake medical degrees

The West Bengal Health department has initiated a probe into allegations that five people were practising medicine in the state with fake degrees obtained from Bihar, a senior official said on Saturday.

The Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes (APHN) has complained that several patients treated by these five accused—two in North 24 Parganas and three in South 24-Parganas—have died and government healthcare schemes, such as 'Swasthya Sathi', may have been misused, said its secretary Rajib Pandey.

The association has claimed these people registered themselves with the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) using fake medical degrees and documents obtained from Bihar.

He said the matter came to the newly-formed association's notice when it was establishing committees in different districts.

"We came across information about around a dozen such people. We collected documentary evidence suggesting these people obtained registration numbers using fake degrees, and submitted those to the Health Department and the WBMC. We have also written to the health minister," Pandey told PTI.

A senior health department official confirmed receiving the complaint. "The entire matter is under investigation," the official said.

Inquiry sought into registrations, deaths

The APHN has sought an inquiry into these disputed degrees and registrations, any alleged medical negligence or deaths, and payments received under government health schemes. It has also demanded the recovery of any funds found to have been obtained improperly, cancellation of registrations and criminal proceedings against the accused.

The association has alleged that two of the five persons were engaged at civic clinics and one was a government doctor.

Association suspects wider racket

It said that these cases could point to a racket involved in procuring forged MBBS and post-graduate medical qualifications from other states to secure registration in West Bengal. The APHN has also raised the possibility of illegal financial transactions.

The association has demanded a statewide mechanism to verify medical qualifications and a helpline through which doctors and the public can report suspected fake credentials.

Doctors demand high-level probe

Manas Gumta, the former general secretary of the Association of Health Service Doctors, demanded an immediate high-level investigation into the allegation. "It is unimaginable how deep corruption in the medical council runs. Those who played with people's lives must be brought out of their safe haven and sent to jail," he said.

West Bengal Doctors Forum president Kaushik Chaki said the allegations, if established, would have serious implications for public health.

"If these allegations are true, this is not merely an administrative error; it is a grave crime against public health," he said, adding that verifying an applicant's educational qualifications and previous registration was a basic responsibility of the medical council and those responsible for any failure could not evade accountability.

Service Doctors Forum general secretary Sajal Biswas said practising medicine with a fake registration was an extremely serious offence.

"If someone has been practising medicine with a fake or illegal registration number, there can be no more serious offence. There is also a risk that many lives may have been lost as a result, which is an extreme disgrace to the medical profession," Biswas said.