Crime Patrol: Munnabhai MBBS caught after 6 years (Episode 128 on 8th July 2012)

Crime Patrol : Dr. Siraj Jaffer Secretly Steals His Colleague's Medical Certificate - Episode 128 - 8th July 2012

Dr. Varun who just completed his internship from Mumbai City Hospital under the guidance of Dr. Siraj Jaffer visits Nasik to meet his colleague whose full name is Dr. Siraj Rafiq Moinuddin Jaffer later, he informs Dr. Siraj that the person who claims to be Doctor in Mumbai City Hospital is known by his nick name Maqbool in the Hospital and also expresses his doubt that Maqbool's Medical certificate is fake and he is trying to fool patients and Doctors from since past 6 years. A medical drop out was practicing his Doctor in a reputed Hospital later, before going to the police Dr. Siraj tries to collect more information about Maqbool thus he files a police complaint against Maqbool and he gets arrested. Why did Maqbool steal his colleague's Medical certificate?

The Inside Story

A day after Mumbai Mirror reported the arrest of a fake doctor at Bombay Hospital, its medical director, Dr D P Vyas, admitted there was no system in place to verify credentials of candidates applying for a junior doctor’s post.

On Thursday, this newspaper reported the case of Mohammed Zuber Qureshi who worked at the hospital for six years by masquerading as his collegemate, Dr Meraj Danish Mohammed Hussain Shaikh. 

The real Dr Meraj Shaikh (upper one); and Zuber Qureshi, his former classmate who had stolen his documents and identity

Dr Vyas said the system to seek references to cross-check a candidate’s credentials existed only for post-graduate doctors and consultants.

Zuber exploited this loophole in the recruitment process. He allegedly submitted certified copies of genuine documents of his Dr Meraj from Nagpur. 

He, however, said the hospital now plans to introduce mandatory reference checks even for junior medicos. Caught on the backfoot, the hospital on Thursday got into damage control mode. It said Zuber, whose services have now been terminated, had never been assigned any important responsibility, and that he merely executed orders of consultants under whom he worked.

Zuber was one of the 200-odd junior doctors who are directly supervised by consultants of the department concerned. Hospital authorities said he worked in the Cardio Thoracic department and that his superiors never had any complaint against him. A statement issued by the hospital said: “He was in no way directly involved in treatment of patients, and could not take any decision on his own.”

Dr Vyas said that the hospital relies on documents provided by a candidate, and on the registration of the Maharashtra Medical Council.

The hospital statement added: “The original certificates presented by Zuber very much reliable and certified by the university, and it was not possible to identify the cheating since the person presented the same in such a way.”