Quack medical practitioners running amok in Telangana: PIL in HC

A PIL alleging that Rural Medical Practitioners (RMPs) and Private Medical Practitioners (PMPs) are recklessly endangering the lives of citizens was admitted by the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh High Court yesterday..A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili was informed that these practitioners were only competent to provide first aid, prescribe over-the-counter medication, and administer drugs prescribed by a qualified practitioner ..The petitioner’s counsel S Sandeep Reddy told the Court that not only were these quacks misleading rural communities into believing that they could provide all the services one could avail of at a qualified doctors clinic, they were also providing in-patient services conducting deliveries and blood tests, and prescribing Schedule H drugs..The petition states,.“Further, RMPs and PMPs are using beds in their clinics or first aid centers and are admitting persons as in-patients and are providing Medical Services such as injecting saline, prescribing unwanted and unnecessary schedule medicines such as antibiotics, steroids in high dosage, conducting blood tests and performing deliveries to pregnant women and are playing with the lives of ignorant and poor rural and tribal people.”.The petition seeks the suspension of the Government Order under which the Telangana State Paramedical Board is empowered to train and certify these medical practitioners. It also stresses the importance of establishing the requisite number of Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) as recommended by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare..“As per Rural Health Statistics, 2015-16 issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, there is a short fall of 41% CHCs and 13% PHCs as per 2011 population in Telangana. There is a short fall of 50 CHCs and 100 PHCs in the state. It is submitted with the growing population in the state, the aforesaid shortfall has risen over a period of time.”.According to the petitioner, the state urgently requires a Medical Recruitment Board, on the lines of the Medical Services Recruitment Board which has been a resounding success in Tamil Nadu..Justice Ranganathan agreed that this was indeed a problem, and that he had first hand experience of the same. However, he observed that dismantling the entire apparatus would be akin to “using a hammer to swat a fly”, and that to get them to fall in line was the solution..The state has until November 21 to file a counter affidavit..Read the petition: