West Bengal Makes Private Hospitals Verify Doctors' Registration Before Hiring
Facilities must check registration numbers under the Clinical Establishment Rules and report suspicious credentials to the State Medical Council.
The West Bengal Health Department has directed private healthcare facilities to verify the registration numbers of doctors before engaging them, as part of efforts to keep unqualified practitioners out of hospitals and clinics.
What the rule requires
Private medical establishments must validate registration details under Rule 7(4) of the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Rules, 2017, and immediately report any suspicious credentials to the West Bengal Medical Council. Those practising with fake identities or without authorisation will face legal action.
A health department official said many people who claim to be doctors practise without valid registration numbers or approval.
Backing from doctors and hospitals
The directive followed complaints from the Association of Private Medical Hospitals & Nursing Homes about unauthorised practitioners putting patients at risk, and has been welcomed by the West Bengal Doctors' Forum.
The move comes as several states, including Telangana, step up action against quackery.
Source: Medical Dialogues
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