In a case of medical fraud, a man posing as a British heart specialist allegedly performed surgeries on patients at a Christian missionary hospital in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh — resulting in at least seven deaths.
The accused, whose true identity has been revealed as Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, reportedly falsified credentials and adopted the name "Dr. N John Kem," claiming to be a cardiologist from the UK, according to news agency ANI.
After securing a position at the private missionary hospital, Yadav began performing heart surgeries. Tragically, multiple patients died following these procedures, prompting outrage and urgent calls for accountability.
Advocate and district president of the child welfare committee, Deepak Tiwari, was one of the first to raise alarm bells about the fake doctor.
"Some patients who did not die came to us and told us about the incident that they had taken their father to the hospital. The guy was ready to operate, but they were apprehensive, so they took their father to Jabalpur. We then learned that this fake doctor was working at the hospital. The real guy is in Britain, and this guy's name is Narendra Yadav," said Tiwari, who filed an official complaint with the Damoh district magistrate.
Tiwari further alleged that Yadav has a criminal record and had a case registered against him in Hyderabad, a city in southern India, and yet failed to provide any real identification documents during his employment.
The scandal has drawn national attention not just for the loss of lives, but for the hospital's reported involvement with Ayushman Bharat, a central government scheme that funds healthcare for underprivileged citizens.
Priyanka Kanoongo, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, confirmed that the hospital was receiving government funds and that the allegations are being seriously investigated.
"We got a complaint that a fake doctor has performed surgery on patients in the missionary hospital. We were also told that the missionary hospital is also involved with the Ayushman Bharat scheme and taking money from the government for it. This is a serious complaint; we have taken cognisance of the matter, and an investigation is currently going on."
Shockingly, this isn't the first time Yadav posed as "Dr. Kem." In July 2023, he posted on X, appealing to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to be sent to France to stop riots, bizarrely identifying himself then, too, as Dr. N John Kem.
With a widening investigation and mounting pressure on both hospital officials and local authorities, the Damoh tragedy is raising serious questions about medical oversight, background checks, and the misuse of public health funds.
