Fake doctor removes degree claim from chamber door

A doctor trained in naturopathy, who had been practicing as an MD for years, on Wednesday, removed the signboard from his chamber situated at Circus Maidan in Katwa in East Burdwan district.

This follows a raid conducted by the district administration and police after an ayurvedic doctor was found to be practicing allopathic medicine in his chamber located at Kachari Bazaar area of Kalna on Tuesday.

Local people said that the accused doctor, Priyalal Sil, had been practicing in the Circus Maidan area for the past 10 years and people used to visit him as he claimed to be a gold medalist. After Tuesday's incident, in which a fake MBBS doctor was found to be practicing in Kalna, Sil on Wednesday voluntarily removed the signboard proclaiming himself to be an MD gold medalist to avoid being grilled by the local administration.

This attracted the attention of the local residents and when they asked the accused about why he had removed the signboard, he broke down and admitted his guilt. He also admitted that he was originally a doctor of naturopathy and had no MD degree. In his prescriptions, Sil used to claim that he was a professor. Local residents used to visit him believing his credentials as an MD. The district health officials have already sought documents from the accused.

Sil, a resident of Palashpuli village of Purbasthali, also destroyed his writing pads that carried his claims of having an MD degree. When he was chased by the local people, he claimed that all his writing pads had been exhausted. He also said that he was ready to face an interrogation by the police in this connection.

When questioned about his degree, Sil told reporters that he had prepared himself mentally to face the interrogation and that he was ready to accept the punishment. District health officials have ordered a probe into the incident and strict action will be taken against the accused if found guilty.

In another development, the district Health department has served a notice to Satyaban Mondal, an ayurvedic doctor who had been practicing as a general physician by using a fake MBBS degree at Kachari Bazaar area of Kalna, to submit all documents relating to his degrees to the district Health department. He claimed on Tuesday that he had completed his MBBS degree from a university in Assam.

Both the incidents came to light after the president of the West Bengal Medical Council, Dr Nirmal Maji, on Monday said that there were many instances in which ayurvedic, homeopathy and naturopathy doctors are been practicing as allopaths.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) which has been conducting a probe in connection with the arrest of fake doctors, may interrogate senior officials of the Kothari Medical Centre. The CID arrested one Ajay Tewary who had been practicing there as a consultant gastroenterologist without a valid registration.