The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police has begun its investigation against 17 persons arrested on charges of practising medicine illegally.

The Kathmandu District Court granted a 7-day remand to the CIB to conduct the investigation of fraud charges against the accused.

Nepal Police on Monday had arrested 17 persons on charges of practising medicine illegally in the country. The “quacks” and owners of five hospitals, including Apollo Hospital Thamel, were arrested by the CIB during a raid conducted in coordination with the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) and the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights Nepal (FPCRN).

According to the CIB, 13 of those arrested are from China, one from Australia and three are Hospital owners from Nepal. The arrested individuals including the foreign nationals were found practicing medicine illegally without proper educational background and without registering themselves with the NMC.

The CIB had arrested 8 fake Chinese doctors and one Nepali owner from Apollo Hospital Thamel, 2 Chinese national and the owner from China Great Wall Hospital, Chuchepati; one Chinese national from China Dental Hospital Boudha and one fake Australian doctor; 2 fake Chinese doctors from China People’s Hospital and the owner CIWEC Hospital and Travel Medicine Center, Lainchour.

The CIB made the raids following a complaint from the FPCRN that quacks had been examining patients in these hospitals. The CIB has already written to the NMC to verify the details of the persons who were arrested.

The saga of the so-called “fake doctors” began in February 2016 when around 12 doctors were rounded up. Most of the arrestees had a counterfeit higher education certificate that was used to pursue medicine in their undergraduate.