Telangana: Irked doctors demand government to act on quacks

Hyderabad: Even as the government is cracking the whip on the illegal hospitals and diagnostic centres, the doctors are demanding action on the quacks, who are running the hospitals without proper doctor's degree.

Recently, the health authorities had initiated statewide action against the hospitals and diagnostic centres running illegally. The authorities had issued show cause notices to six hospitals in Nalgonda, seized five labs and a private hospital, three hospitals in Adilabad were also served notices, two private hospitals in Jagtial and three private hospitals in Mulugu.

However, the doctors are questioning why the government was not acting against the quacks, who are operating without a proper degree. The doctors alleged that these quacks often operate their units in the name of first aid clinics with the support of politicians and from the department. Former president of Junior Doctors Association K Vijayender said that the rules are for doctors whereas the quacks have no limitations. These quacks are functioning as MBBS doctors without passing and are collecting money from the diagnostics, he added.

According to estimates, there are over 20,000 quacks in the State performing duties of a doctor. Even the RMP doctors are running hospitals by having a name plate of MBBS doctor in some places in the state. The Health Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) President said that the department of Health and State Medical Council were not taking any legal action on quacks and even encouraging them jeopardizing public health especially uninformed poor rural people who even lost lives despite.

The NMC issued directions to state medical councils to impose Section 34 and 54 of NMC Act-2019 against quacks. As per GO 129 rules for TS Medical Practitioners Act-2013 state medical council is empowered to act on quacks. As per Clinical establishment act-2010 district administration is empowered to impose fines on unauthorized clinics.

Giving an example, Dr Vijayender said that the Jogulamba district health officer Dr Banot Chandu Naik had a name plate with MBBS DCH (Osm). However, it is alleged that he had not done DCH in Osmania Medical college and this was proved by Vijayender in February 2019 with proof. He has demanded the government to check for the year of education of the doctor.