Red-flagging frauds should be considered public duty

Mumbai police crime branch arrested Altaf Khan, 50, from Govandi for practising as a doctor without having any qualifications

The Mumbai crime branch unit 6 nabbed a quack who had been practising as a doctor in Govandi for the past six years. The bogus doctor was apprehended through a trap. The man, cops cited, could not furnish any evidence to prove he was a doctor.

According to the police, the fake doc was nabbed after he treated a patient, who was a decoy sent by the police to his clinic. He even prescribed medicines. The police raided his clinic and demanded to see his credentials; however, he couldn't provide any documents. He was not registered with the medical council as Std XII was his highest education qualification! This is shocking to say the least and taking into consideration that this charlatan practised for nearly six years, one can only feel for the people treated by him.

We do hope that they are alright and have survived these so-called medications that he has prescribed and the overall treatment or in this case, mistreatment.

It is so important we weed out the scamsters as there are many pretending and posing to be doctors. After they collect a substantial patient following, their so-called credibility grows and even more persons start coming in to their clinic.

While it is not possible for the layman to check credentials, tip-offs or red-flagging suspicions will certainly help. One need not approach the doctor directly at first but keep an ear out for bad experiences or suspicions from others.

Opinions and experiences may differ, yet, if we feel something is not quite right, there is no relief or cure and the doctor's diagnosis or even talk is strange, it may very well be worth it talking to other persons or simply trying to find out. In the end, though, it is the cops who will have to take action and ask for evidence. This is conning people with direct effects on their health and in extreme cases may prove fatal, too.