Madhya Pradesh: Fake cardiologist booked after seven deaths at Damoh missionary hospital

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A case has been registered against a man posing as a cardiologist at a missionary hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district, following the deaths of seven patients allegedly under his care, according to PTI.

The Damoh police filed the FIR late on Sunday night based on a complaint by the district's Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Dr MK Jain, PTI reports. The accused, identified as Dr Narendra John Camm, has been booked for allegedly conducting critical cardiac procedures without proper medical registration. A team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is set to visit Damoh from 7th to 9th April to probe the allegations.

Dr Jain's complaint stated that Dr Camm had fraudulently carried out angiographies and angioplasties at the Mission Hospital despite not being registered with the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council, as is mandatory for all practising doctors in the state. "His name does not appear on the council's database, and the registration number is missing from his documents," the FIR noted, as per PTI.

A preliminary investigation carried out by a panel of doctors - formed following a directive from the district collector - could not verify the authenticity of Dr Camm's credentials. The hospital's management later claimed the doctor had already vacated the premises.

The FIR further stated that while the hospital had submitted a medical registration certificate from the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council for the accused, checks on the council's official website revealed no such listing under the name ‘Dr Narendra John Camm'.

The matter took a more disturbing turn when a local resident alleged in a previous complaint to the NHRC that the individual in question had used the alias ‘Dr N John Camm', borrowing the identity of a well-known British cardiologist, Professor John Camm, in a bid to gain the trust of patients. The complainant claimed the man's real identity is Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, and accused him of misrepresenting himself as foreign-educated and trained.

The complaint also highlighted that several deaths had occurred in January and February this year due to the "unauthorised" treatment provided in the hospital's cardiology department.

NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo, in a post on X, said the deaths occurred as a result of heart procedures performed by an unqualified individual, and that the hospital operates under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Yojana, indicating misuse of public healthcare funds.

Kanoongo confirmed that the NHRC's investigation team will interview affected families, hospital staff, and local officials during their visit to Damoh. The inquiry will assess both institutional accountability and any lapses on part of administrative personnel involved.

Damoh Collector Sudhir Kochar also confirmed that a complaint had been received and that an investigation is currently underway, PTI reports.

The accused has been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 315(4) for dishonest misappropriation, 338 for forgery, 336(3) for fraudulent alteration of documents, 340(2) for use of forged records, and 3(5) for joint criminal liability.

(With inputs from PTI)