Nepal Police on Monday 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 Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police. The CIB conducted the raid in coordination with the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) and the Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights Nepal (FPCRN).

The CIB made the raids following a complaint from the FPCRN that quacks had been examining patients in these hospitals. Dr Dharma Kanta Banskota, chairperson of the NMC, said the CIB also raided on China Great Wall Hospital, Chuchepati; China Dental Hospital Boudha and CIWEC Hospital and Travel Medicine Center, Lainchour. Superintendent of Police Jiwan Shrestha, spokesperson for the CIB, confirmed the raid. “We have arrested 17 persons. A majority of them are Chinese who were practicing medicine without registering themselves with the NMC. The investigation is under way,” said SP Shrestha.

The CIB has already written to the NMC to verify the details of the persons who were arrested. The CIB has not revealed the identity of the arrestees claiming that investigations are under way. “Anybody, be it Nepalis or foreigners with a medical degree, found practicing medicine without registering themselves with the NMC are liable for a three-year imprisonment or a fine of Rs3,000 fine or both,” said Dr Banskota. “Recently, we were flooded by Chinese people claiming to be health professionals. We have a long list of such people practicing illegally who will soon be booked.”

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.