The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Centre, Delhi Government, and Delhi Medical Council in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks a directive for a time-bound verification of the medical qualifications and educational certificates of all medical practitioners across the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. The court’s move comes amidst growing concern over unchecked quackery and a recent scandal involving fake doctors.
The bench, comprising Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna, expressed concern over the rise of quackery in Delhi and emphasized the need for the Medical Council to ensure its presence is felt at ground level. The PIL alleges that quacks, lacking legitimate medical qualifications, have taken advantage of lax oversight, compromising the integrity of the State Medical Council.
The plea highlights the urgent intervention needed due to recent reports of a fake doctors’ scam at a nursing home in Delhi-NCR, where unqualified practitioners operated with a dangerous disregard for established medical protocols, resulting in the deaths of several victims.
The scandal came to light in Greater Kailash, South Delhi, where a woman posing as a surgeon, a laboratory technician, and the proprietor of Agarwal Medical Centre, Dr Neeraj Agarwal, allegedly performed major surgeries despite being only an MBBS. The petitioners claim that the Delhi Medical Council failed to act diligently on multiple complaints against Dr Agarwal and his accomplices.
The PIL, moved by victims of medical malpractice, including a 6-year-old disabled child, seeks court direction to set up a high-powered committee to monitor the process of verification. It also calls for an investigation into the functioning of the Delhi Medical Council by independent agencies like the CBI, citing the alarming malpractice of granting fake registrations and shielding unqualified doctors.
As the Delhi High Court takes a decisive step to address the medical crisis, the fate of healthcare integrity in the capital hangs in the balance. The unfolding legal battle sheds light on the urgent need for transparency and accountability in the medical profession.