QR code system to combat bogus doctors to be implemented in Maharashtra in new year

More than 1.9 lakh medical practitioners are registered with the MMC. The names, registration numbers, registration dates and qualifications of registered medical practitioners are available on its website.

Dr Vinky Rughwani, MMC administrator, said there is increasing concern over unqualified practitioners.

“By scanning the QR code, the patient will be able to check details of the doctor’s registration and verify the authenticity,” Dr Rughwani said, adding that the work has been outsourced to an agency.

A centralised database of all doctors in Maharashtra will ensure information is up to date, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare providers, he said.

The MMC is the successor to the Bombay Medical Council, which was established in September 1912 and existed until the bifurcation of the old Bombay state.

Apart from maintaining a register of medical practitioners, the MMC also has committees to deal with complaints against doctors. It is a semi-quasi judicial body with the power to initiate punitive measures against registered medical practitioners.

While each district has its own anti-quackery committees, often complaints do not reach them, Dr Rughwani said. The new initiative will boost the efforts to combat bogus doctors, the MMC official added.

At the MMC, authorities have resolved 1,600 complaints that range from minor to serious cases, and the grievance cell is expediting efforts to address the backlog of complaints of medical negligence.

Continued Professional Development workshops are also being approved by the MMC to enhance doctors’ knowledge.