The Question is… How Did a ‘Fake Doctor’ Get Hired to Perform Surgeries?
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Dear Reader,
On Monday morning, I came across a headline linking one “Dr John Camm” to seven patient deaths at a hospital in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him at first.
A quick Google search — and it all came rushing back.
During 2023-2024, while I was reporting on health-related stories, a so-called Dr John Camm had faced backlash on X for his hateful, misogynistic, and anti-vax posts, as well as his frequent run-ins with the medical community. Multiple doctors had called him out for impersonating Dr John Camm, a well-known UK-based cardiologist. In fact, the real Dr Camm had even warned about this impersonator misusing his identity and potentially putting lives at risk.
By 2024, the impostor doctor's X account had been suspended, and he disappeared.
That is, until this week, when he resurfaced. This time working at Mission Hospital in Damoh, still using the same false identity.
So, the question is... how did someone with such a well-documented history of deceit manage to land a job at a hospital and perform surgeries on patients?
We did some digging.
7 Surgeries Gone Wrong: How an Infamous 'Fake Doctor' Got Hired at MP Hospital
Who is Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav?
It all began with Krishna Patel, a concerned grandson who grew suspicious after his grandfather received questionable treatment. A second opinion revealed that the initially recommended open-heart surgery was unnecessary. That was the first red flag.
Patel then discovered that the doctor treating his grandfather — under the alias Dr John Camm — had previously been fired from another hospital for failing to provide legitimate documents.
Despite complaints filed in February, no action was taken for over a month. It was only after the National Human Rights Commission intervened in April that an FIR was finally filed and Yadav’s fake credentials officially acknowledged.
Yadav, it turns out, has a long and troubling history, linked to multiple FIRs across India, including charges of embezzlement, kidnapping, and a 2019 arrest in Chennai related to Braunwald Hospitals, where he served as chairman.
The next question: Were his documents ever verified?
Mission Hospital blames a Bhopal-based recruiting agency, IWUS, claiming it failed to verify Yadav’s credentials. The agency, however, alleges the hospital bypassed them and hired Yadav directly.
Caught in this blame game are the patients, several of whom didn’t survive their time under Yadav’s care. While hospital officials deny any direct link between these deaths and the accused, the cases are now under investigation.
Fake degrees. Inadequate verification. Delayed action. These gaps in India’s medical oversight have real, tragic consequences.
Yadav’s story reveals just how easy it can be for someone to manipulate the system, and how hard it is to stop them, even when the red flags are glaring.
Stories like this take time, persistence, and resources. At The Quint, we’re committed to telling the stories that matter. If you believe in public-interest journalism, consider becoming a member. Your support helps us keep asking the hard questions — and holding those in power accountable.
Thank you,
ANOUSHKA RAJESH
Principal Correspondent
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