6 months ago
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The Karnataka authorities has directed wellness officials to initiate strict enactment against fake doctors and backstage aesculapian establishments employing unqualified practitioners, nether assorted provisions of law.
In a circular dated November 11, 2025, the authorities highlighted sections of the Karnataka Ayurvedic, Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani and Yoga Practitioners’ Registration and Medical Practitioners’ Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1962 (Karnataka Act 9 of 1962) and the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007, among others.
Action against fake doctors
Under the 1962 Act, lone persons registered nether the Karnataka Medical Registration Act, 1961, the Karnataka Homoeopathic Practitioners Act, 1961, oregon the Indian Medical Register maintained nether the Indian Medical Council Act, 1955, are permitted to practise medicine, country oregon midwifery.
Any unregistered idiosyncratic recovered practising successful usurpation of these provisions faces stringent penalties — including fines up to ₹25,000 for the archetypal offence, ₹2.5 lakh and one-year imprisonment for the second, and ₹5 lakh and imprisonment up to 3 years for consequent offences.
A peculiar task unit constituted successful May 2017 nether the Act has been mandated to inspect and prosecute unregistered practitioners.
Against aesculapian establishments
Medical establishments employing unqualified oregon fake doctors are besides liable for prosecution nether the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act, 2007. Running an constitution without valid registration is punishable with imprisonment up to 3 years and a good up to ₹1 lakh. Additionally, specified establishments tin beryllium penalised up to ₹50,000 by the Registration and Grievance Redressal Authority and are liable for contiguous closure.
Further, employing unqualified doctors oregon paramedical unit tin pull imprisonment up to 3 years and a good up to ₹1 lakh. On conviction, the constitution whitethorn beryllium ordered to adjacent immediately.
Environmental instrumentality violations
Unregistered establishments that neglect to comply with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, are besides liable for prosecution. They volition beryllium punished nether Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Such offences are punishable with imprisonment up to 5 years and a good up to ₹1 lakh, with further regular fines for continued violations. In cases of prolonged non-compliance beyond 1 year, imprisonment whitethorn widen to 7 years.
