28 hospitals and clinics found unregistered; penalties ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh imposed 

Mysore/Mysuru: In a major crackdown on illegal medical practices, the Mysuru District Administration, in coordination with local authorities, has shut down 12 fake clinics and exposed several quack doctors operating in the district.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, District Family Welfare Officer Dr. S. Gopinath, who also serves as the Nodal Officer for the Registration and Grievance Redressal Authority under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, confirmed the action.

“There are 1,480 hospitals and clinics registered under KPMEA. However, 28 were found to be operating without valid registration. Of these, 12 have been sealed for functioning illegally,” he said.

Two of unregistered hospitals — one each in T. Narasipur and H.D. Kote — have challenged the closures in Court. Meanwhile, District Health Department has written to AYUSH Board to verify whether two other hospitals qualify to operate under Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha or Homoeopathy (AYUSH) systems.

Additionally, eight unregistered hospitals have been slapped with penalties ranging from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh. Dr. Gopinath stated that raids and inspections will continue across the district to curb unauthorised medical practices and protect public health.

DC’s review meeting

“Following a KPMEA review meeting with Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy on July 9, we launched raids based on credible leads provided by our staff. These operations led to the identification of fake doctors and the sealing of 12 clinics,” said Dr. Gopinath.

The Health Department’s raids aimed to crack down on individuals falsely posing as qualified medical professionals and endangering the lives of unsuspecting patients. “While some were outright quacks, others were operating clinics that prescribed both Ayurvedic and Allopathic medicines in violation of their licence conditions,” Dr. Gopinath added.

Officials stated that the rise of fake doctors — commonly referred to as quacks — has become a serious concern in several parts of the State. In Kalaburagi, for instance, individuals were found treating patients without the mandatory approvals under the KPME Act. Raids were carried out following reliable intelligence regarding these illegal medical practices.

“The modus operandi of these unauthorised practitioners typically begins with working as assistants or compounders in established medical clinics, where they gain exposure to basic medical procedures, prescription practices and the administration of common drugs,” officials said.

“Subsequently, they procure fake Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) certificates through illegal means. Once armed with these forged credentials, they open clinics and pose as qualified doctors, exploiting the trust of unsuspecting patients,” they added.