SRINAGAR, Feb 3: Following the arrest of a self-styled doctor, officials in district Anantnag today requested information on all physicians working at private hospitals and clinics in the area in order to keep an eye on and identify medical professionals with questionable qualifications. In this context, the names of practicing physicians, their degrees, J&K Medical Council registration numbers, and mobile numbers have all been requested from the district’s private healthcare managers.In a related circular, all private clinics and hospitals in District Anantnag were asked to provide information about their practicing physicians within three days, emphasising the importance of systemic transparency. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Anantnag, took the necessary measures after discovering a doctor working at a clinic in Mehman Gali, Anantnag district, who was purportedly using phoney degrees. Through the efforts of a social activist in the district, the so-called doctor, named as Gulzar Ahmad, who was accused of posing as a gastroenterology falsely, was brought to light.After over ten days of fieldwork, social activist Dr. Abdul Bari Naik and his team discovered that the practitioner was not only in Anantnag but also in several other areas like as Srinagar, Budgam, and Ganderbal. “We discovered that the individual was seeing patients at Dar Medicos, Ganderbal; National Drug Store, Hawal; and Mankind Pharmacy, Nowshera, in addition to Medwin Pharmacy in Anantnag,” Dr. Bari stated. Additionally, claims were made that the doctor’s degrees were falsified and did not actually belong to him.The prescription reveals that he has an MBBS degree with an MD in general medicine as well as a certified superspecialist in gastroenterology. “Even the degree he has been showing from PGI Chandigarh is tampered with; it indicates that he has also studied in London, which does not seem to be the case,” Dr. Bari said. Nevertheless, the so-called doctor made the decision to run away and ask for forgiveness when the activist and the “Excelsior” team tried to speak with him about the situation. “He gave me someone else’s registration number when I visited the clinic as a patient. “I verified; every degree was fraudulent,” Dr. Bari remarked.District health authorities became aware of the situation and quickly closed the facility and started an inquiry. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Anantnag, Dr. M.Y. Zagoo, stated to: “We have taken action; the pharmacy was sealed quickly, and we are currently looking into the allegations; we will make sure his credentials are verified, and appropriate action will be taken; in addition, we have directed private hospitals and clinics to submit information about practicing physicians.”It should be mentioned that a case involving a fraudulent doctor who was observed wandering the Lal Ded Hospital claiming to be a cardiologist had surfaced earlier this year. Following a public outcry, the authorities established an inquiry committee tasked with investigating the situation and submitting any necessary recommendations. Nevertheless, neither the committee’s findings nor the authorities’ knowledge of the corrective actions implemented to avoid future incidents have been made public as of yet.
