Within the first three months of 2024, the police registered 19 cases against quacks for providing treatment and prescribing allopathic medicines which are out of their domain.
Telangana State Medical Council in a statement said that a clear plan for more such cases with the formation of district quackery systems. Fake medical system robbing people in the guise of service. (Creative Commons)
On 23 January, the Jubilee Hills police in Hyderabad registered a case against a man for prescribing allopathic medicine without the required qualification. The case was registered based on a complaint by the Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC).
The accused, K Mahesh, had the title Doctor — without an MBBS degree — prefixed to his name, and had been running a clinic, ‘First Aid, Surakshita Clinic.’
He held a certificate issued by the Community Paramedics Welfare Association (CPWA) had issued a certificate to him. Additionally, the Red Cross Society, too, had awarded him a Basic First Aid Certificate.
Armed with these two certificates, Mahesh allegedly practised allopathy.
Mahesh was the first one among the 19 unqualified ‘doctors’ to be booked for prescribing allopathic medicines to patients across the state.
Within three months, the police registered 19 cases against quacks for providing treatment and prescribing allopathic medicines that were out of their domain.
According to TSMC, it was the first time in the state’s history that 19 cases were registered against the quacks in the state under the NMC Act. The quacks were booked under Section 34 R/w Section 54 of the NMC Act, 2019.
Section 34 of the NMC Act says that no person other than a person who is enrolled in the State Register or the National Register, as the case may be, shall— be allowed to practise medicine as a qualified medical practitioner. Anyone found guilty would get a jail term of one year and a fine of ₹5 lakh.
Also, it should be mentioned that after the formation of the Telangana state, in December 2023 for the first time, TSMC got elected members. These elected members have constituted an anti-quackery committee that is taking these cases to the police.
The Telangana State Medical Council in a statement said that a clear plan for more such cases with the formation of district quackery systems.
“There are instances where fraudulent medical practitioners demand large sums of money from clinics in exchange for referrals, or they employ threats. They may also seek sponsorship from hospitals, resorting to spreading false information if not accommodated,” said TSMC.
It added that in rural areas, a significant percentage, approximately 75-80%, of fake doctors (operating under the registered medical practitioner(RMP) or private medical practitioner(PMP) system) purporting to provide emergency medical care is detrimental to public health.
Those working in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in villages are disparaged as incompetent by these fake medical practitioners, undermining the integrity of the public health system.
“Unsanctioned management of laboratories and pharmacies, including issuing reports without conducting tests, and operating labs without necessary equipment, are common practices among RMPs and PMPs,” it added.
Efforts by government bodies, aided by state medical councils, have helped dismantle these fraudulent systems in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
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