Against the backdrop of the complaints that about 700 bogus doctors are practising in Maharashtra, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) will soon meet the anti-quackery cell in Mumbai, which has in its panel the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner, Police Commissioner and the MMC officials.

The MMC officials also recommend that it is high time that there is also a need to amend the MMC Act, 1965 to be able to take action against the quacks who are unqualified and unregistered with the MMC. These quacks who claim that they have an MBBS degree are not even registered with the Council and therefore have an easy escape route to evade the law of the land.

MMC is an association with around 85,000 allopaths under its umbrella. Officials will also be appealing to the state government and the district level officials to take action against the bogus doctors.

Explains Dr Shivkumar Utture, executive committee member, MMC, "There is a need to amend the law in line with that of Delhi Medical Council (DMC) Act, where there is a provision to take action against unregistered and unqualified people who claim to have a medical degree and treat patients without fear of being penalised."

According to the complaints received by the council, the 700 doctors under the MMC scanner don't have proper qualification to carry out the duties of a medical professional. The anti-quackery cell as of now can file criminal cases against these bogus doctors. MMC will discuss and explore the issue of growing number of quacks in the state with the cell in a detailed manner.

Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council (MSPC) had also detected 1400 such cases of bogus doctors in pharmacy inspections related to Section 42 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 last year and submitted the report to the district vigilance committee for further action.

A Gadchiroli-based bogus doctor was convicted for violating Section 33 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961. The quack was sentenced to two years imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 5000 in contravention to the provisions of the law. Section 33 of Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act prohibits medical practice by unregistered people.

According to an official, the incident of Gadchiroli has highlighted the plight of patients who are vulnerable to quacks in the absence of an effective monitoring and regulatory system in place.

The bogus doctor found in Gadchiroli has a qualification from Government Ayurvedic and Unani Medical Council, Bihar which is invalid according to MMC records. MSPC had lodged an FIR against the doctor at Gadchiroli Police Station for treating patients and dispensing medicines without a valid registration and degree. The doctor has, however, been convicted after due course of investigations and court proceedings.

State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can also take action against bogus doctors for violation of Section 18 (C) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Schedule K of rules.