In a significant development, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif revealed in the State Legislative Assembly that the Maharashtra Medical Council has launched a QR code-based system named ‘Know Your Doctor.’ This system allows citizens to quickly confirm the legal registration status of doctors. The initiative aims to combat the presence of fake doctors in the state, addressing concerns raised by MLA Vijay Deshmukh regarding bogus doctors in Solapur district.
Minister Mushrif provided insights into the state’s medical landscape, noting that Maharashtra currently boasts approximately 1,40,000 registered doctors actively engaged in delivering healthcare services. Moreover, the state witnesses an annual influx of about 12,824 fresh MBBS graduates entering the medical sector. The Minister defined “bogus doctors” as individuals practicing medicine without the requisite registrations in various medical domains, including MBBS, Post-Graduate Medical Education, Ayurveda (BAMS), Homoeopathy (BHMS), Unani, and Dental sciences.
Over the period from 2015 to 2026, a total of 89 criminal cases have been filed against unauthorized practitioners in Maharashtra. To combat this issue, the government has established specialized monitoring bodies. These bodies operate at the district and taluka levels, chaired by District Collectors and Tehsildars, respectively. Minister Mushrif announced plans to revamp these committees by incorporating local public representatives for enhanced supervision.
Emphasizing the strict legal measures against unauthorized medical practices, the Minister cautioned that violators would face severe repercussions. He highlighted that as per the National Medical Commission (NMC) Guidelines, offenders could be subject to imprisonment for up to 1 year or a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh. Under the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, initial offenders could face up to 2 years’ imprisonment or a fine, with repeat offenders potentially enduring up to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
Furthermore, Minister Mushrif expressed the government’s commitment to amending the PC-PNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act to ensure stringent penalties for those endangering citizens’ lives. During the Question Hour, additional queries on the subject were raised by MLAs Rahul Kul and Rahul Patil.
