Kolkata, 02 October (H.S.) : Amid rising concerns over fraudulent practitioners operating with forged certificates and fictitious registration credentials, the West Bengal Health Department has issued a comprehensive set of protocols aimed at eliminating unqualified individuals from private healthcare establishments across the state. Under the freshly notified guidelines, all private hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics are now strictly required to verify the registration numbers and authentic credentials of medical practitioners before finalizing their appointments.

The state directive invokes Rule 7(4) of the West Bengal Clinical Establishment (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Rules, 2017, directing private health facilities to thoroughly vet all academic certificates, statutory registrations, and legal authorisations of prospective doctors. Licensing authorities have been ordered to maintain active vigilance to stamp out fraudulent medical practices that mislead the public and compromise patient care.

According to a senior health department official, medical establishments harboring doubts regarding an individual’s identity, qualification, or legal right to practice must immediately report the matter to regulatory authorities. The guidelines stipulate that the attention of the West Bengal Medical Council must be promptly drawn to cross-check records and verify the eligibility of the doctor in question. The state government warned that any individual found delivering medical consultations or clinical services under false pretenses or without statutory authorization will face severe legal penalties and criminal prosecution.

The regulatory crackdown comes after the Association of Private Medical Hospitals and Nursing Homes raised alarms regarding instances where private healthcare units inadvertently engaged practitioners lacking valid registrations. The association also highlighted cases where such unauthorized individuals were independently operating medical chambers, urging the state administration and the state medical council to enforce stringent countermeasures to prevent quackery and safeguard patient lives. The new protocols have also been welcomed by the West Bengal Doctors' Forum, which described the measures as a necessary step toward upholding healthcare standards across the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh