30 doctors took bribe, but government sends only 27 names for action

A govt inquiry found 30 doctors guilty of accepting a luxury trip to Paris and Monaco worth a little over Rs 1.9 crore from AbbVie Pharma.

However, according to National Medical Commission, when the department sent the list — nine months after its apex committee ordered it do so in Dec 2024 — it contained only 27 names.

The department did not respond to TOI queries on how or why the names of three doctors disappeared.

When TOI asked NMC ch-airperson Dr Abhijat Sheth what steps had been taken against the 30 doctors, he said the commission got 27 names in Sept 2025. These were forwarded to the nine state medical councils where the docto-rs were registered “for inquiry and appropriate action”.

Under NMC Act, the state medical council concerned has the jurisdiction to inquire into complaints relating to ethical or professional misconduct against doctors, he added. However, he did not specify which nine states.

The pharmaceuticals department and NMC have also refused to reveal the names of the doctors involved.

Through an RTI to PMO, it was revealed the list was sent to Kerala State Medical Council, which clarified only one doctor on the list, which it received on Dec 16, 2025, was from the state. The KSMC registrar said an explanation had been sought from the doctor and the matter was in process, five months after the name was received.

According to NMC Act, if a complaint has not been decided by a state medical council within six months, the commission has the option of referring it to its own ethics committee. Asked if NMC would take over the matter if state councils did not act, Sheth said it would “act firmly... as appropriate”.