Maharashtra Doctors Must Display QR Codes at Clinics From October 31

Doctors across Maharashtra will now be required to display QR codes at their clinics, with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) making the requirement mandatory under its ‘Know Your Doctor’ (KYD) initiative.

The MMC, on September 9, directed every doctor to install the QR code at their clinic by October 31. Doctors who fail to comply could face a fine of up to Rs 15,000 and police action, according to the council.

The QR code, which will be displayed on an acrylic plate, will allow patients to access key details about a doctor by scanning it, including their name, educational qualifications, registration authority and validity of their medical licence.

Doctors practising at more than one clinic will be required to display a QR code at each clinic. Hospitals will also have to display QR codes for every registered doctor practising on their premises.

QR code to update after licence renewal

The QR codes will be linked to the respective doctors’ registration records. As a result, information displayed through the QR code will automatically be updated when a doctor renews their licence, which is required every five years.

The MMC said the QR code will be different from a doctor’s registration certificate and cannot be tampered with.

The council had introduced the QR code system on a voluntary basis last year and encouraged doctors to register for it. However, the response was limited. Of the around 1.43 lakh doctors registered with the MMC in Maharashtra, only about 20,000 applied for QR codes, MMC administrator Vinky Rughwani said.

Move aimed at curbing fake doctors

The mandatory system is aimed at preventing unqualified or fake practitioners from providing medical services and enabling patients to verify the credentials of doctors.

The move follows demands from legislators during the last two sessions of the Maharashtra legislature for stricter action against fake doctors. The KYD initiative was subsequently taken forward by the MMC.

The council has claimed that Maharashtra is the first state in India to make QR-code-based authentication mandatory for doctors. The system could potentially be considered for implementation at the national level in the future.

The MMC receives an average of one complaint every month concerning fake doctors in the state. Such complaints are forwarded to district anti-quackery committees headed by the respective district collectors, as well as to the police for further action.

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