Mumbai, June 24 (IANS) In a major move to help citizens easily identify genuine, registered medical practitioners, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif announced in the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that the Maharashtra Medical Council has launched a QR code-based system called ‘Know Your Doctor.’

By scanning the QR code, citizens can instantly verify whether a doctor is legally registered to practise. This initiative also aims to curb the menace of bogus doctors in the state. The Minister was replying to a question raised during Question Hour by MLA Vijay Deshmukh regarding action taken against bogus doctors in Solapur district.

Elaborating on the state’s medical infrastructure, Minister Mushrif shared that Maharashtra currently has around 1,40,000 registered doctors actively providing healthcare services. Furthermore, approximately 12,824 new MBBS graduates enter the state’s medical field every year.

The Minister defined “bogus doctors” as individuals practising medicine without the mandatory registrations across various medical fields, including MBBS and Post-Graduate Medical Education, Ayurveda (BAMS), Homoeopathy (BHMS), Unani and Dental sciences.

Between 2015 and 2026, a total of 89 criminal cases have been registered against such unauthorised practitioners in the state. To curb this menace, the government has set up dedicated monitoring bodies. District-level committees function under the chairmanship of District Collectors, while taluka-level committees operate under the chairmanship of Tehsildars. Minister Mushrif announced that these committees will soon be restructured to include local public representatives for stricter oversight.

Highlighting the stringent legal provisions against unauthorised medical practices, the Minister warned that offenders face severe consequences.

He said that under the National Medical Commission (NMC) Guidelines, there is a provision for up to 1 year of imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.

As per the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, there is a provision for up to 2 years’ imprisonment or a fine for the first offence, while repeat offenders face up to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.

Additionally, Minister Mushrif stated that the government is supportive of making necessary amendments to the PC-PNDT (Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act to ensure that those who risk citizens’ lives face the harshest possible punishment.

During the Question Hour, MLAs Rahul Kul and Rahul Patil also raised supplementary questions on the matter.

–IANS

sj/dan