02 June 2010
Prafulla Marpakwar
Mumbai, India
Choudhury is attached with a few hospitals in Malad and Borivli. "We have removed his name from the MMC register for professional misconduct and misleading patients. We have also informed the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) about the decision,’’ a senior MMC official told TOI.
Choudhury got his MBBS degree from West Bengal. Later, he was registered as a medical practitioner with the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC). A few years ago, he shifted to Mumbai and was registered with the MMC.
A complaint was lodged with the MMC, saying Choudhury was an MBBS, but on his letterhead, he claimed to be a cardiologist. Moreover, he also claimed to have cleared a superspecialty examination. In the letterhead, he also stated that he was a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP).
After recording the statement of the complainant, the MMC had sent a showcause notice to him, asking him why his name should not be removed from the MMC register. Simultaneously, the MCC had also written to the WBMC to verify if he was really registered with it. While WBMC officials confirmed that he was registered with it, during the course of the hearing, Choudhury admitted to his mistake and gave the assurance that he would rectify it at the earliest.
A month later, when the complainant brought to the notice of the MMC that Choudhury had still not changed his qualification on his letterhead, he was again summoned before the MMC. After being given a fresh hearing, the MMC passed an order, saying, his registration had been suspended for two months.
Significantly, while MMC passed the order, the moot question is whether the MMC has the network or manpower to keep tabs on the doctor to verify if he would continue practising or not after the ban. "We don’t have that kind of network. If he continues to practise, the complainant will bring it to our notice,’’ he said.
An MMC official said it does not have the power to refer the case to the police. "It’s a fact that the act of the doctor amounts to misleading a patient and it is a fit case for being referred to the police. However, under the MMC Act, we don’t have the power to approach the police,’’ he said.
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