A fake female doctor has been arrested for practicing an allopathic system of medicine in southwest Delhi thereby endangering the lives of people in the National Capital. The accused has been identified as Rupa Sikdar, who doesn’t possess the requisite medical qualification to treat patients.
A case under the Delhi Medical Council Act has been registered against the accused on a complaint of a representative of Delhi Medical Council (DMC) and action has been initiated.
According to a police source, the complaint against a woman running a clinic by the name Shradha Clinic, without having any medical qualification, was received. After due inquiry by the DMC, it came out that the said clinic was operating near Panchayat Ghar, Rajokri Village in the area of Vasant Kunj South Police Station.
Further, a closure order was passed by the DMC for the clinic run by accused Rupa Sikdar.
It is informed that earlier a raid was conducted by the Chief District Medical Officer (New Delhi District), Directorate of Health Services, at the clinic of Rupa Sikdar Shradha Clinic located near Panchayat Ghar, Rajokri Village.
During the inspection, the accused was unable to provide any document or certificate, which gives her authority to practice medical activity in the allopathic system of medicine at her clinic. Following which, a complaint was made at the Vasant Kunj South Police Station regarding the illegal medical practice.
A police official said that action has been initiated in the matter and the legal action will be taken based on the inquiry.
Expert opinion
According to an expert, the Supreme Court, in the matter titled Poonam Verma Vs Ashwin Patel and others, held that “a person who does not have knowledge of a particular system of medicine but practices in that system is a quack and a mere pretender to medical knowledge or skill or to put it differently a charlatan”.
The same was reaffirmed by the apex court in another matter, wherein it was held that “a professional may be held liable for negligence on the ground that he was not possessed of the requisite skill which he professes to have. Thus a doctor who has a qualification in Ayurvedic or Homeopathic medicine will be liable if he prescribes allopathic treatment which causes some harm.”
Any person who falsely assumes that he is a medical practitioner and practices the modern scientific system of medicine, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment which may extend up to three years or with fine which may extend up to 20,000/- or with both in terms of section 27 of Delhi Medical Council Act, 1997.