Lok Sabha Question No. 2268 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-12
Subject: Survey on Fake Doctors
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Govind Makthappa Karjol

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2268 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH DECEMBER, 2025

## SURVEY ON FAKE DOCTORS

## 2268 SHRI GOVIND MAKTHAPPAKARJOL:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has conducted any survey on fake doctors and unauthorised medical practitioners in the country;

(b) if so, the mechanism available with the Government to identify such fake doctors along with the number of such doctors identified by the Government across the country, districtwise and State-wise especially in Karnataka;

(c) the details of the strict action taken by the Government on such doctors and unauthorised medical practitioners in the country, State-wise especially in Karnataka; and

(d) the other steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to provide adequate medical facilities in rural areas of the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

(a) to (d): Health is a State Subject. Therefore, complaints and grievances regarding fake doctors, as and when received, are forwarded to the State/ Union Territory concerned for taking appropriate action. The data and details of such complaints and actions taken thereon are not maintained centrally as each State/ Union Territory or concerned authority handles the matter within their jurisdictions.

Section 34 of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019, prohibits a person other than a medical practitioner enrolled in the State/National Register, to practice medicine as a qualified medical practitioner. Any person who contravenes, punishment of imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with a fine which may extend to Rs.5 Lakh or both is also prescribed under the Act.

The Government has taken various measures to improve the availability of doctors in underserved, rural and tribal areas in the country which include:-

-  Under Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), 'Establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals', 137 new medical colleges are functional out of 157 approved medical colleges.
-  The Family Adoption Programme (FAP) has been incorporated into the MBBS curriculum to provide equitable healthcare access to rural population. FAP involves medical colleges adopting villages, and MBBS students adopting families within these villages. This enables regular follow-up of adopted families for vaccination, growth monitoring, menstrual hygiene, Iron-Folic Acid supplementation, healthy lifestyle practices, nutrition, vector control, and medication adherence. It also helps in educating families about ongoing government health programmes.
-  Under District Residency Program of National Medical Commission (NMC) second/third year PG students of medical colleges are posted in district hospitals.
-  Hard area allowance is provided to specialist doctors for serving in rural and remote areas and for their residential quarters.
-  Under the National Health Mission, states are allowed to offer negotiable salary to attract specialist including flexibility in strategies such as 'You Quote We Pay'.

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