15-year-old boy dies after 'fake doctor' performs surgery using YouTube

The 'fake doctor' operated on the boy without the family's consent after he was admitted for severe vomiting

A 15-year-old boy in Bihar's Saran district died after a 'fake doctor’ performed gallbladder surgery, allegedly following instructions from YouTube. The boy, Krishna Kumar, was taken to Ganpati Hospital after experiencing severe vomiting, but the unqualified 'doctor' allegedly carried out the operation without the family’s consent, leading to the boy’s untimely death, NDTV reported.

Family devastated by negligence

Krishna’s family shared their heartbreaking ordeal, saying they had rushed him to Ganpati Hospital hoping to ease his worsening condition. Despite doubts over the doctor’s qualifications, they trusted him to provide basic care. However, their worst fears came true when the ‘doctor’, identified as Ajit Kumar Puri, claimed the boy needed immediate surgery.

"We just wanted the vomiting to stop. But the doctor proceeded with the surgery without telling us," a family member said, recounting the horrifying sequence of events. They revealed that Puri used videos on YouTube to guide him through the operation. Krishna’s condition deteriorated shortly after the procedure.

Operation conducted without consent

As Krishna's condition worsened post-surgery, Puri arranged for an ambulance to transport him to another hospital in Patna. However, Krishna passed away on the way. The family alleged that the ‘doctor’ and his staff abandoned the boy’s body at the hospital before fleeing the scene.

Krishna’s grandfather, Prahlad Prasad Shaw, said the doctor carried out the procedure while the boy's father was sent on an errand, leaving the family shocked and devastated. “He seemed to improve after the vomiting stopped. But then the doctor suddenly decided to operate. He sent the boy’s father away and started the surgery without our consent. My grandson was in terrible pain. When we asked why, the doctor arrogantly replied, ‘Are you doctors?’” Shaw recalled.

Later that evening, Krishna stopped breathing. Despite efforts to revive him, the boy succumbed to his injuries. "They left his body on the hospital stairs and fled," the grief-stricken grandfather added.

The incident has sparked outrage in the local community and across the state. The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and are currently searching for Ajit Kumar Puri and the remaining staff of Ganpati Seva Sadan, which has since been abandoned. Patients in the hospital were left unattended as the staff fled following the incident.

 

Similar incident in Mumbai

The case echoes another alarming incident that occurred in Mumbai earlier this year. In March, police arrested Parvez Abdul Aziz Shaikh, a 46-year-old Bandra resident, for treating patients using his wife’s Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) degree. Shaikh had been practising medicine at a clinic in Malwani without holding a valid medical licence.

Following a tip-off, crime branch officials, along with the Medical Officer from Malad’s P North ward, conducted a raid on Shaikh’s clinic, leading to his arrest under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act. His wife, the actual holder of the medical degree, was also issued a notice to appear for investigation.

Investigations further revealed that Shaikh was already wanted in connection with a 2023 case in Mulund, where a man died after receiving incorrect treatment from him. Shaikh now faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, forgery, and impersonation under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).