Fake Cardiologist Exposed in India
A fake cardiologist caused seven deaths in MP, exposing the deep cracks in India’s broken doctor verification system. Is our healthcare safety built on sand?
When a man with a fake identity and a trail of lies walks into a hospital and ends up causing seven deaths, it’s no longer just a headline—it’s a national emergency.
In April 2025, Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav was arrested in Prayagraj after being exposed for impersonating a renowned UK cardiologist, Dr. John Camm. He wasn’t just another conman—he had actually been practicing in a hospital in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, performing cardiac procedures with a forged registration certificate. And tragically, patients died under his care.
The fraud was so convincing that even Mission Hospital, a reputed facility, was fooled. They didn’t cross-check his credentials with the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council. Why? Because our national medical registry system is riddled with gaps—outdated, fragmented, and shockingly easy to bypass.
Yadav’s fake Andhra Pradesh Medical Council number (153427) didn’t appear in any official registry—not in AP, not in Telangana, not even in the Indian Medical Register maintained by the National Medical Commission (NMC). Yet, he continued to practice across seven states, despite past misconduct and suspension in places like Noida and Chennai.
How is this even possible in 2025?
The System is Failing Us
India has over 13 lakh registered doctors, but our national database isn’t synced in real-time. Suspensions or blacklists in one state aren’t visible to another. Hospitals rely on trust—or worse, private recruitment agencies—to verify medical credentials. There’s no unique ID, no mandatory digital trail, no accountability.
Despite the launch of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) in 2021, which promised to modernize healthcare data, only a fraction of healthcare professionals have registered under the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR). Without centralized enforcement, the HPR remains voluntary and toothless.
Real Lives, Real Loss
This isn’t just a regulatory lapse—it’s a human tragedy. Seven families lost loved ones, not to disease, but to negligence and oversight. Could those lives have been saved if the hospital had real-time access to verified credentials? Almost certainly.
A Wake-Up Call for India
This case is a brutal reminder that India needs a centralized, mandatory, and tech-enabled medical registry—one that not only tracks qualifications but also flags disciplinary actions across states. Think Aadhaar, but for healthcare professionals.
We also need legally binding protocols for hospitals to verify doctors before hiring, with penalties for lapses. Medical councils must work in tandem with law enforcement, and healthtech solutions should be funded and fast-tracked.
This isn’t just about one man. It’s about a system built on blind trust—when it should be built on verified truth.
If India truly values patient safety, this moment must spark reform. Because next time, it might not be seven lives. It could be yours, or someone you love.
Sources:
Times of India (Rema Nagarajan, April 14, 2025)
Hindustan Times (April 7, 2025)
The Hindu (April 10, 2025)
India Today (April 7, 2025)
NDTV (April 6, 2025)
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