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According to an estimate, there are around 40,000 quacks in the national capital. DMC has been continuously writing to the Delhi police and Health Ministry asking for their co-operation to check the quacks and yet for fear of eroding the vote bank little is done. Meanwhile damage is being done unabated to the health of the citizens. The death of a 15-year-old girl while undergoing an operation on her tongue in a private clinic at southwest Delhi two years ago had shaken people badly as it brought once again to fore the menace of quacks in the Capital. The operation was conducted by a quack posing as an MBBS to treat the girl's stammering, which resulted in her death. Though a case had been registered against the accused for causing death due to negligence, the incident had thrown light on the darker side of illegal private clinics running unmonitored in the Capital. Delhi is the city where around 40 thousand quacks are freely working and playing with the health of people and exploiting them even than the government and the adjoining governing body is mum and is not interested in removing them from Delhi. Some quacks have been practicing for the last 20-25 years in some of Delhi's posh areas and have become a menace for the government as they are spoiling cases of patients. Some leading doctors of Delhi are of the view that though they get cases that have been spoilt by quacks all the year round, with the outbreak of any disease the quacks become over active. "With no records of the number of cases that are being spoilt by quacks, we never get a clear picture of the damage done. We need a more pro-active approach to tackle the problem," says Dean and Director Professor at Maulana Azad Medical College, Dr. A.K. Agarwal. The Medical Council of India (MCI) and its subordinate Delhi Medical Council is also concerned over this matter but are not supposed to take some effective steps against them just because of ruthless political pressure. On the other hand the Delhi government is wanting to keep it's reach far away from this matter because of vote politics as most of these quacks are associated with some particular communities and parties, and are having power in their hand to divert a large number of votes. It is said that if any government or party boldly takes some decision against these quacks, it faces the counter effect in the next election as party finds less seats. Talking over this issue the Indian Medical Association official says that while the Union Health Ministry is proposing death penalty for spurious drug manufacturers but when it comes to putting a curb on fake doctors, professional bodies are hamstrung. "We are a pressure building body. It is a law and order issue involving the Government and the police. We have a legal framework and it requires political will to take it further,'' IMA joint secretary Nerendra Saini said. On the other hand, DMC claims that it has recently issued notices to some of fake doctors asking them to close down their medical clinics operating in the city. DMC, claiming that these "doctors'' have been running a flourishing medical business in the city without a medical degree. DMC also claims that copies of the letter issued to the quacks have also been sent to the area Deputy Commissioners of Police, Station House Officers and the Chief District Medical Officers to keep them updated of the situation. According to an estimate, there are around 40,000 quacks operating in the city and despite the so-called sustained efforts by the DMC to curb the menace, the problem persists. DMC members Anil Bansal express his concern over this matter stating "The Council had received information about some fake doctors running clinics and prescribing allopathic medicines to people some weeks ago. Notices were issued to all the 20 about whom the Council received complaints. Four people responded and the Council found that while two doctors were qualified two others had stopped their illegal medical practice after they received the notice. While one fled the city the other who was not even Class VIII pass gave in writing that he will stop practicing medicine,'' According to reports, the Capital has over 20,000 doctors registered with the DMC, 4,000 Ayurvedic practitioners registered with the Bharatiya Chikitsa Parishad and 1,000 Homeopaths registered with the Homeopathy Board. As per the government rule if a medical practitioner is proved to be a quack in the court, he may be imprisoned for a maximum of three years and fined up to Rs. 20,000. Now alarmed at the rising number of quacks and illegally run medical clinics, the DMC has written to the Delhi police and the Health Ministry asking for their co-operation to tackle the situation. It had been seen that these quacks were functioning in some slum areas a few years ago but now a days their reach has reached almost the whole Delhi. "While the menace was previously restricted only to slum areas in Delhi now clinics are opening up in large well-to-do residential localities including Dwarka. This is a dangerous trend as the population load here is much higher,'' added Dr. Bansal. Earlier too the DMC had appealed to the Delhi police and the Chief District Medical Officers to help intensify their fight against such illegal doctors. | |
