Fake Cardiologist Performs 50+ Surgeries At Faridabad Hospital, Treated Patients Under Stolen ID

News18

11 hours ago

Last Updated:
The investigation revealed that Dr. Sharma had impersonated another doctor, using Dr. Mohan's registration number.
A qualified MBBS doctor, identified as Pankaj Mohan Sharma, posed as a cardiologist and conducted over 50 heart procedures at a heartcare centre in Badshah Khan Civil Hospital over eight months.
Despite having a medical degree, Sharma's lack of authorisation for critical cardiac surgeries put numerous lives at risk before his fraudulent practice was exposed.
Dr Sharma came under the cops' scanner when Sanjay Gupta, a lawyer and social activist, complained to the NIT Faridabad police station on April 11, quoting sources to allege that he bagged additional degrees based on forged documents.
According to the preliminary investigation, the accused had been operating under a stolen identity, misappropriating the National Medical Commission's (NMC) registration number assigned to Dr Pankaj Mohan, a legitimate cardiologist practising in the city.
As per the police, Dr. Pankaj Mohan Sharma was hired by Mediterina Hospital, which operates the heart care centre at Badshah Khan Civil Hospital through a public-private partnership, in July last year.
The investigation revealed that Dr. Sharma had impersonated another doctor, using Dr. Mohan's registration number 2456, instead of his own MBBS registration number 28482.
He did not stop at that. Dr Sharma's prescriptions had a stamp that identified him as a 'cardiologist', complete with a DNB (cardiology) — a postgraduate degree equivalent to an MD.
'The hospital management continued to employ an unqualified and fraudulent doctor who lacks any degree or recognised specialisation in cardiology. Dr Sharma falsely claimed qualifications of MD and DNB (cardiology), which are entirely fraudulent," said lawyer Gupta.
Dr. Mohan filed a complaint with the Indian Medical Association in January this year, alleging that Dr. Sharma had illegally used his credentials. Dr. Mohan also served Dr. Sharma a legal notice after discovering the fraudulent activity.
Suspicions arose when Dr. Sharma abruptly stopped attending the heart centre in February after being asked to produce his medical degree. Patients began inquiring about him and visited the real Dr. Pankaj Mohan, who clarified that he had never worked at the heart centre, further solidifying the allegations.
Additionally, it was discovered that Dr. Sharma had a Facebook profile under the name 'Kshitiz Mohan', where he claimed to be the director of a film production company, casting more doubt on his medical credentials.
Dr. M Pratap Kumar, CMD of Mediterina Hospital and head of the heart centre at Badshah Khan, confirmed that Dr. Sharma had been removed from his position. 'He applied through formal HR channels as a general physician. We always had suspicion about his DM (cardiology) degree and acted on it," he said.
First Published: