Pune Sees Surge In Fake Doctors; 3 Booked In Just 2 Months

Pune is witnessing a worrying rise in cases of bogus doctors conducting medical examinations and providing treatments without valid medical qualifications.

Recently, the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) Anti-Bogus Doctors' Cell received a complaint against an electro-homeopathy medicine practitioner running a clinic at Manjri and prescribing allopathic medicines without qualification, which violates registration requirements with the medical council. The civic administration lodged a first information report (FIR) against the quack at Hadapsar Police Station on October 30.

In another case, Pandurang Baburav Devadkar, a 40-year-old resident of Payas Society, Lokmanya Nagar, Navi Peth, was allegedly found running an alternative medicine centre in the Vishrambaug area. Devadkar was allegedly using ancient herbal medicines for the treatment of patients, police said. Dr Gopal Ujavankar, 38, lodged a complaint at the Vishrambaug Police Station, prompting the police to take action.

P Ramakrishna Reddy, a 66-year-old former assistant in the surgery department of a hospital, after retirement, allegedly acquired a certificate from an organisation in Uttar Pradesh and opened a clinic in Mundhwa's Keshavnagar area. In July, authorities apprehended him in the Lonikand area, as well as another bogus practitioner operating a treatment centre for piles in Warje.

Three more cases have come to light, of which one is from the Bhavani Peth area and two are in Viman Nagar. The investigation is ongoing, said the authorities.

Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer and in charge of PMC Anti-Bogus Doctors' Cell, said, "We have instructed all the ward officers to keep a check on fake doctors operating in their respective jurisdictions. We have three suspected cases of quacks in Viman Nagar and Bhavani Peth area; the investigation is underway. We have asked the authorities to check the PCPNDT cell, MTP centres, hospital registration, practitioner degrees, and qualifications. The inspection is conducted in rotation to maintain a thorough check."