HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Sept 9: Assam’s health department is once again in the spotlight after police arrested another fake doctor, adding to a string of recent cases that have raised alarm about the presence of fraudulent medical practitioners across the state.
A senior police official of Cachar district said on Tuesday that they have apprehended one Pankaj Choudhury from a private hospital in the Ghungoor area of Silchar.
Choudhury was reportedly working with forged medical certificates, including a fake degree from a hospital in Kazakhstan and another counterfeit MD certificate.
Police have started a detailed investigation into how he managed to secure employment in the hospital.
The incident follows several similar arrests across Assam in recent weeks.
In Kokrajhar, police nabbed Anisur Rahman, who allegedly posed as an MBBS doctor despite only holding a homeopathy degree.
He had joined the National Mobile Medical Unit on September 1 using a fake certificate.
A case under IPC sections has been registered against him at Kokrajhar police station.
Earlier, in Silchar, two others — Kamrul Islam and Tinku Mazumder — were arrested for allegedly posing as dentists.
Their arrest came after the Indian Dental Association filed a complaint.
Cachar SP Numal Mahatta confirmed that the probe into the case is still underway.
Another arrest was reported from Charaideo district, where Abhishek Shah, who had been posted at the Naharhabi tea estate hospital, was caught practicing with fake credentials.
Shah was also treating patients in private pharmacies at Lakwa. His arrest followed a complaint lodged by the Anti-Quackery and Vigilance Officer of the Assam Council of Medical Registration.
The series of arrests has sparked concerns over public health and safety, as fake doctors continue to infiltrate the state’s medical system.
Officials have appealed to people to remain vigilant, verify the credentials of medical professionals, and immediately report any suspicious cases to the authorities.