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Fake Cardiologist Performs 50 Heart Surgeries — A Wake-Up Call for India’s Healthcare System

A shocking incident has surfaced from Faridabad, Haryana, that has once again exposed deep cracks in India’s public healthcare system. An MBBS-qualified doctor, Pankaj Mohan Sharma, allegedly impersonated a cardiologist and went on to perform over 50 heart surgeries at a government hospital over eight months — all under a stolen identity.

What Happened?

Pankaj Mohan Sharma, a general MBBS doctor, posed as a cardiologist and started treating patients — including critical heart cases — at the Badshah Khan Civil Hospital in Faridabad. He used another doctor’s identity credentials and worked undetected for months.

While Sharma was technically a licensed doctor, he had no specialization or authorization to conduct cardiac surgeries — a highly skilled and life-sensitive field. His illegal practice continued from October 2023 to May 2024, until the deception was uncovered.

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Why This Is More Than Just Fraud

This isn't just a case of identity theft — it’s a medical disaster in waiting. Operating on the human heart without formal training or specialization is not only unethical but life-threatening. Every patient he treated was unknowingly put at serious risk.

This episode lays bare the loopholes in hospital hiring, verification, and monitoring protocols — especially within India's overstretched government healthcare system.

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Is This a One-Off Case? Sadly, No.

This is not the first time such shocking malpractice has emerged in India. Here are some recent examples:

🔹 Bihar (2023): A fake doctor with no degree ran a clinic in a village for years, causing multiple medical complications.

🔹 Delhi (2022): A student submitted forged documents to get MBBS admission but was caught after almost a year.

🔹 Mumbai (2021): A homeopathy practitioner posed as an allopathic doctor, risking a patient’s life.

These incidents indicate a pattern, not an exception. A nationwide loophole allows unverified individuals to masquerade as medical experts, sometimes with deadly consequences.

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How Did the System Fail?

This case raises serious questions:

• How was Pankaj Mohan Sharma hired without verification?
• Was there no regular internal audit of doctors’ credentials?
• How could someone conduct major surgeries without being cross-checked or supervised?

It is evident that Badshah Khan Hospital lacked adequate systems for identity verification, duty assignment monitoring, and periodic credential checks.

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What Needs to Be Done?

To prevent such dangerous lapses in the future, a few critical steps are essential:

✅ Centralized Doctor Credential Verification System:

All hospitals — especially government ones — must adopt a national-level system linked with NMC (National Medical Commission) and Aadhaar to verify doctor identities.

✅ Mandatory Biometric Access in Hospitals:

Doctor logins and patient treatment records should be managed through biometric authentication to avoid impersonation.

✅ Public Awareness:

Patients should be taught how to verify a doctor’s registration through the official NMC/MCI portals.

✅ Strict Legal Action:

People caught practicing with fake or stolen identities must face criminal prosecution under stringent IPC sections — not just administrative penalties.

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The Bigger Picture: Trust in Healthcare at Stake

India’s healthcare system is already strained — from lack of doctors to long patient queues. When frauds like this go undetected, they erode the trust that patients place in government hospitals.

The Faridabad case should not be treated as isolated negligence. It’s a clear red flag — signaling an urgent need for reform in recruitment, regulation, and surveillance in healthcare institutions.

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Conclusion

This scandal is not just about one man faking a role. It’s about a system failing to protect the lives it claims to save. The question now is: Will India learn from this? Or wait for a tragedy to take action?

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