The West Bengal Medical Council has cancelled the medical registrations of five doctors after finding that documents allegedly linked to Bihar had been used to obtain registration in the state, while the West Bengal Health Department has opened a wider investigation into whether more such cases exist.
The action followed a complaint from the secretary of the Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes. Based on the complaint, the council examined the documents and registration records of the doctors concerned before cancelling their registrations, according to a report by Sanmarg.
The case has raised concerns about how documents submitted for medical registration are verified and how irregularities may be identified after registration has been granted. The report said the council is examining documents allegedly used by the five doctors to establish whether they were authentic and valid for registration in West Bengal.
The Health Department has begun a separate inquiry in view of the seriousness of the matter. Its investigation will examine whether the number of doctors who obtained registration using allegedly forged documents is higher than five. It is also expected to identify other possible cases and examine the authenticity of the documents involved.
A complaint has additionally been submitted to the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner. The complaint includes allegations against some senior officials of the West Bengal Medical Council. It alleges that cases involving registrations based on forged documents had increased over the past few years and that timely action was not taken.
The complaint further alleges that a network involving forged registrations may have continued with the collusion or support of some council officials. These allegations have not been independently confirmed. The report said the extent of involvement of individuals and the scale of the alleged process will become clear only after the Health Department and police complete their investigations.
The cancellation of the five registrations is an administrative action by the medical council; the supplied report does not establish the outcome of any criminal investigation or determine the liability of the doctors or officials named in the allegations. It also does not identify the five doctors or provide details of the documents that were found to be suspect.
The Health Department and police investigations will now determine whether additional registrations were obtained through forged documents and whether any officials or intermediaries facilitated the process.
