Hyderabad: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Telangana has condemned the political backing to quacks in the state.
The IMA Telangana has urged legal action against private medical practitioners and rural medical practitioners operating in the state. Chairman of the Action and Antiquackery Committee, IMA Telangana Dr K Ashok Reddy expressed disappointment over a recent protest by unqualified practitioners at Hyderabad’s Indira Park.
Speaking to Siasat.com, he said, “Quackery has been a persistent issue, and we have long been demanding the eradication of unqualified medical practitioners.”
He said there is no need for political support to the quacks in Telangana. To support the statement the doctor said, “There are about 66 medical colleges in Telangana, there two in each of the 33 districts.”
The doctor further explained that almost 10,000 qualified doctors graduate annually from these medical colleges; about 6,000 qualified specialists and about 3,000 super specialists are produced yearly in Telangana. “Where is the necessity for quacks?” Reddy asked.
The chairman also voiced concerns over the lack of strict penalties for Registered Medical Practitioners (RPMs) in Telangana. He criticized former Telangana health minister T Harish Rao for supporting quacks or unqualified practitioners, questioning the government’s stance. “Politicians blame qualified doctors for avoiding rural areas, but if proper facilities were provided, why wouldn’t doctors be willing to serve there?” he remarked.
The doctors said that such issues must not become grounds to support quackery. “We demand that there should not be any fake or duplicate practitioners in the society,” he asserted.
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Reddy further said that in the recent protest held in Hyderabad, quacks cited a Government Order from 2009 which sought to regularise RPMs. He demanded that such things should be done away with.
“Now that Telangana has been formed, why should the old GO be considered? There were several representations given to the Telangana government against RPMs,” the doctor said.
He claimed that the politicians irrespective of them being in the ruling or opposition parties, back the RPMs since the latter form a large vote bank.
Reddy further criticised Harish Rao saying, “While in power, the minister said that the government would regularise the RPMs; the IMA approached the High Court in 2022 regarding this issue.”
The Telangana High Court had issued an order not to regularise the unqualified medical practitioners.
Harish Rao attends protest by quacks in Telangana
Former Telangana health minister Harish Rao drew flak from doctors for expressing solidarity with and attending a protest by the quacks in Hyderabad. Condemning the action, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) said it is alarming that a former health minister supports illegal practitioners.
Telangana has qualified medical professionals and govt healthcare facilities, including village and basti hospitals. The association demanded strict laws, immediate arrests, and harsh punishments for these unauthorised practitioners and their supporters.
Quacks protest in Hyderabad
The Medical fraternity in Telangana has been reacting to the recent protest held by quacks in Hyderabad.
On February 10, Associations representing Rural Medical Practitioners (RMPs) and Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) were locked in a major stand-off over the recent inspections and registering of police cases against quacks, who are unqualified medical practitioners without an MBBS degree.
TGMC files 400 FIRs against quacks in Telangana
The association of RMPs and Private Medical Practitioners (PMPs), under the umbrella of Telangana Grameena Vaidyulu Samaikhya, conducted a major protest at Dharna Chowk against the recent raids and police cases against RMPs by Telangana State Medical Council.
The RMPs alleged that the Medical Council was intentionally targeting and harassing them and called for an immediate halt to inspections at their healthcare facilities by the council.
