Police have registered a case against a man accused of posing as a cardiologist at a missionary hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district, following the deaths of seven people who were allegedly treated by him.
The accused, who went by the name Dr Narendra John Camm, is under investigation for fraudulently practicing medicine without the necessary registration, according to officials.
A team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is scheduled to arrive in Damoh on Monday and will remain there until Wednesday to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident. The First Information Report (FIR) was filed late Sunday night based on a complaint lodged by Damoh district’s Chief Medical and Health Officer, MK Jain.
In the complaint, Jain alleged that Dr Camm had deceived both the hospital and the patients by performing critical procedures such as angiography and angioplasty at the Mission Hospital despite not being registered with the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council.
The complaint stated that his medical documents do not display any registration number from the council, raising serious doubts about their authenticity. According to medical regulations in Madhya Pradesh, no doctor is permitted to practice without being registered with the state’s medical council.
Following a letter from the district collector, a team of doctors launched an investigation into the matter. They found that the hospital management claimed Dr Camm had already left the facility. The hospital manager provided copies of the doctor’s credentials, but the investigating doctors noted that these documents lacked the usual registration numbers from either a medical council or a university.
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The Mission Hospital presented a medical registration certificate allegedly issued by the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council. However, upon verification, Dr Camm’s name did not appear on the council’s official website, raising further suspicions about the legitimacy of his qualifications.
The FIR names the accused under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 315(4) for dishonest misappropriation, Section 338 for forgery, Section 336(3) for creating or altering documents with fraudulent intent, Section 340(2) for forged documents and electronic records, and Section 3(5) relating to joint criminal liability in the execution of a common criminal intention.
The case came to light after a local resident filed a complaint with the NHRC, alleging that the individual operating under the name 'Dr N John Camm' falsely claimed to have foreign medical training and credentials.
The complainant asserted that the man's real name is Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav and that he had impersonated the renowned UK-based cardiologist Professor John Camm to mislead patients. The complaint also stated that numerous patients died between January and February this year after receiving treatment from the unqualified individual in the hospital’s cardiology department.
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On Friday, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the deaths of seven individuals in the hospital were connected to the fraudulent activities of an impostor posing as a cardiologist.
He further noted that the missionary hospital in question is part of the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Yojana scheme, implying that government funds may have been misused in the process. Kanoongo confirmed that the NHRC has ordered an investigation into the matter.
He also announced on Sunday that the NHRC investigation team, formed under his direction, would be in Damoh from April 7 to 9. He encouraged any victims or individuals with relevant information to meet with the team during their stay. The team will evaluate the hospital, as well as other entities and individuals mentioned in the complaint, including relevant administrative officials.
Damoh Collector Sudhir Kochar confirmed on Sunday that a complaint had been received and an investigation is underway.
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