]Govt move stings junior doctors across Telangana

Hyderabad: The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) is up in arms against the proposed legislation to provide training to the Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) and Private Medical Practitioners (PMPs) in the State.

According to officials, a GO No 428 was issued by the Health Department in 2015, setting various guidelines to RMPs and PMPs in rural area. But most of the RMPs and PMPs have been allegedly misusing the GO by prescribing scheduled medicines and calling themselves as doctors. They are even prescribing unwanted and unnecessary scheduled medicines which are leading to chronic ailments and even deaths of poor rural people.

However, the rural health statistics by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the year 2014-15 shows a shortfall of 41 percent of Community Health Centres (CHC) and 13 percent of Primary Health Centres (PHC) as per 2011 population in Telangana. Doctors expressed concern that training for the RMPs and PMPs would aggravate the situation as they prescribe hazardous drugs to patients. Instead, improving infrastructure in rural health sector along with the calendar year recruitment of qualified health professionals would benefit the poor and a healthy Telangana could be achieved, said a doctor.

Meanwhile, there are allegations that most of the RMPs and PMPs passed only 7th and 10th classes and worked in hospitals to gain knowledge. After starting their own practice, they branded themselves as doctors. Dr P S Vijayender Goud, president, JUDA, Osmania Hospital wing, told The Hans India that they had requested the government to cancel GO No 428 because practicing medicine without recognised qualification was quackery and such practice would lead to an unhealthy policy.

“It was mentioned in the GO that RMPs full form as Registered Medical Practitioners which is against Section 15 of Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Action should be taken against RMP’s prescribing scheduled medicines and infrastructure in rural health sector should be improved in order to achieve healthy Telangana,” He said. Around 25,000 junior doctors across Telangana are planning to stage a protest on Tuesday.

Dr G Srinivas, advisor to TJUDA, said they urged the government to abolish the GO No 428 and not to issue any GO towards further training or legalisation of RMPs and PMPs. He suggested the government to increase the number of CHCs and PHCs in the State along with recruiting doctors and paramedical staff. With these measures, there would be no need of services of RMPs and PMPs, he said.