In a unparalleled move in the annals of medical council history in India, Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has suspended medical registration of 7 medical specialists for an unprecedented 5-year period while another 50 doctors’ registrations were suspended for 1 year each – all for using fake certificates with post-graduate diplomas from the College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPS). The lesser sentence of 1 year suspension was given to 50 doctors for committing the same offense because these doctors pleaded guilty for being involved with the fraud and also submitted written apologies to the medical council, according to published report. It is also reported that some of these doctors have confessed that they paid several lakhs of rupees to obtain the fake CPS certificates even after failing the medical examination. Many doctors across India have been using fake certificates and degrees to entice the unsuspecting patients. Some of these unscrupulous medicos also use bogus degrees after their names allegedly obtained from top Western Countries like USA and UK. Government has remained largely blind to such broad daylight criminal activities by otherwise registered medical practitioners. State medical councils and MCI also remained absolutely silent to these medical atrocities until today when MMC has taken this truly remarkable disciplinary measures against medical corruption. We salute the courageous doctor-members of MMC for their bold and honest stance and hope other medical councils will soon follow their footsteps for the sake of the vulnerable patients and to improve the sagging doctor-patient relationship in India.
