Mumbai, June 24: The Maharashtra government has taken a significant step to help citizens identify genuine and registered doctors. Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif announced the launch of a QR code-based system called ‘Know Your Doctor’ during a session in the Assembly on Wednesday.
By scanning this QR code, citizens can quickly verify whether a doctor is legally registered. This initiative aims to curb the prevalence of fake doctors in the state.
The minister provided this information in response to a question from Vijay Deshmukh regarding actions taken against fake doctors in Solapur district during the question hour.
While discussing the state’s medical system, the minister revealed that approximately 140,000 registered doctors are currently providing healthcare services in Maharashtra. Additionally, around 12,824 new MBBS graduates join the state’s healthcare system each year.
Mushrif explained that ‘fake doctors’ are individuals who provide medical services without the necessary registration. This includes those practicing in various fields such as MBBS, postgraduate medical education, Ayurveda, homeopathy, Unani, and dentistry without authorization.
Between 2015 and 2026, a total of 89 criminal cases have been filed against such illegal practitioners in the state. To address this issue, the government has established monitoring committees. These committees operate at the district level under the leadership of the district collector and at the tehsil level under the tehsildar.
The minister mentioned that these committees will soon be reorganized to include local representatives, enhancing oversight and enforcement. He highlighted the stringent legal provisions against illegal practice, stating that offenders could face severe penalties.
Under the guidelines of the National Medical Commission, such cases could result in up to one year of imprisonment or fines up to ₹5 million. According to the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, first-time offenders may face up to two years in prison or fines, while repeat offenders could receive up to ten years of rigorous imprisonment.
Furthermore, the minister indicated that the government supports necessary amendments to the PC-PNDT Act to impose harsher penalties on those endangering lives.
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