Nepalese police arrests 36 'fake' doctors

Kathmandu, June 20: Nepalese police have arrested 36 doctors, including six women, working in reputed hospitals as part of a major crackdown on medical professionals in the country who have obtained medical degrees and licences by using fake academic credentials.

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police detained 36 doctors as part of 'Operation Quack' on charges of practicing medicine by using fake certificates.

The CIB yesterday presented the doctors, who used fake academic credentials at the Kathmandu District Court seeking judicial remand for further investigation, police said. The court remanded them to custody for five days for further investigation.

Earlier, the police had arrested the doctors from 10 districts across the country on Friday. The suspected doctors include six women. A police official said the CIB would try to complete the investigation procedures within next five days.

The CIB had launched operation 'Operation Quack' a few months ago to crackdown on medical professionals who had allegedly obtained medical degrees and Nepal Medical Council licenses by using fake academic credentials.

The Nepal Medical Council and the Higher Secondary Education Board have been assisting the police in the the operation.

Meanwhile, Nepal Medical Association has deplored the action taken by the police against the doctors. "Although NMA believes that any one indicted for any activity forbidden by the laws should be liable to punishment accordingly, the arrest of on-duty doctors without warrant from their workplace in an authoritarian style is deplorable," said Mukti Ram Shrestha, General Secretary of the association.

The association claimed that the authorities have violated human rights while taking action against the doctors.

They have also warned that if the government continues to "intimidate" doctors in the manner that it made the arrests, it would be forced to announce protest programmes.

PTI