‘Fake Cardiologist’ Arrested For Causing 7 Deaths At Missionary Hospital In MP’s Damoh

A fake cardiologist at a missionary hospital in Damoh, MP, allegedly caused 7 deaths. An FIR is filed, and NHRC is probing.

A man posing as a cardiologist at a missionary hospital in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, was arrested on Monday for allegedly causing the deaths of seven individuals after they underwent treatment under him. Damoh Superintendent of Police (SP) Shrut Kirti Somwanshi told news agency PTI that the accused, Dr Narendra John Camm, was arrested from Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh).

"Our team conducted a raid and arrested him. Our team is bringing him here.  The accused will be produced in court after he is brought to Damoh," he said. The police officer informed the accused will be interrogated on questions raised by the CMHO in his complaint.

Officials said that following a complaint by the Damoh district’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) MK Jain following which, the police registered an FIR against the accused, Dr. Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav alias John Camm, late Sunday night.

At the same time, a team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is set to arrive in Damoh and will remain there until Wednesday to conduct a thorough investigation into the case.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has taken a firm stance, assuring that strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

In his complaint, Jain alleged that Dr Camm committed fraud by carrying out angiography and angioplasty procedures on patients at Mission Hospital without being registered with the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council. The doctor’s medical documents lack valid registration, which appears suspicious at first glance.

The FIR emphasises that no doctor is legally allowed to practice in Madhya Pradesh without registration from the state’s medical council.

Following the district collector's letter, a team of doctors conducted an investigation into the matter. The hospital management informed them that Dr Camm had already left the hospital. According to the FIR, the hospital manager submitted documents about the doctor’s qualifications.

However, the investigation team did not find any medical council or university registration number, which is typically present on such documents.

The FIR mentions that, according to the documents submitted by Mission Hospital, the concerned doctor’s medical registration certificate was allegedly issued by the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council. However, Dr Camm’s name does not appear in the official registration records on the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council’s website, making the matter appear suspicious at first glance.

The accused has been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 315(4) for embezzlement, Section 338 for causing grievous hurt by an act that endangers life or personal safety, and Section 336(3) for falsifying or altering documents or electronic records with fraudulent intent. Additionally, charges under Section 340(2) for forgery of documents and electronic records, and Section 3(5) for shared criminal liability in acts committed with common intent have also been filed.

An earlier complaint submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by a local resident alleged that the individual posed as 'Dr N John Camm, falsely presenting himself as a foreign-trained and educated cardiologist.

The complainant alleged that the accused's real name is Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, and he deceived patients by falsely using the identity of Professor John Camm, a reputed British cardiologist.

According to the complaint, his misleading identity and improper treatment resulted in the deaths of several patients. It was further claimed that between January and February this year, multiple individuals lost their lives under the care of this unqualified and unauthorized doctor in the cardiology department of Mission Hospital in Damoh.

NHRC member Priyank Kanungo stated in a post on X on Friday, “A case of untimely death of 7 people has come to light in a missionary hospital where a fake doctor was operating on patients in the name of treatment of heart disease. According to the complaint, the said missionary hospital is covered under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Yojana and hence the government money has also been misused. The National Human Rights Commission has ordered an investigation.”

Kanungo added that the NHRC has ordered a detailed investigation into the matter.