Karimnagar Man Dies After Receiving Treatment from Unauthorised Practitioner
By : Shrimansi Kaushik
Update: 2024-08-09 18:06 GMT
HYDERABAD: On Wednesday night, a 42-year-old man from Karimnagar died after being given antibiotic injection and IV fluids without medical evaluation. The patient had sought help from an RMP named Madhava Raju after experiencing diarrhoea and fever. He collapsed after being given antibiotic injections and was taken to Hanamkonda for treatment where he passed away due to multiple organ failure. This is not the only case where inappropriate treatment provided by unauthorised personnel led to the severity of condition of patients. In May, a woman from Warangal had her arm amputated and recently, a child died reportedly due to wrong treatment by fake doctors.
The TGMC has caught 250 fake doctors in raids from April to July across the state. Complaints have been registered in concerned police stations. Drug Control Administration has caught 60 fake doctors with unauthorised stock of medicines and drugs from January to July this year, as per data shared by Kamalasan Reddy, DG, DCA. “From January 2024 to date, raids have been conducted at 60 quacks' clinics, and seizures were made for stocking drugs for sale without a drug license, thereby contravening the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the arrest of quacks is not mandated; however, cases have been registered, and prosecutions shall be launched against the offenders,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
As per Section 15 (2) (a) and (b) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and various Sections of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, a person is allowed to practice medicine only if they are registered in the Medical Council at the state or national level. Such a person is called a Registered Medical Practitioner.
“Due to the confusion caused by common abbreviation, these fake doctors take advantage of it and call themselves RMPs. They do not have MBBS degree and are not registered with the medical council. Many of them are caught with degrees in pharmaceuticals or lab technician qualifications practicing medicine,” said Dr Naresh.
Patients have to pay more
The menace caused by fake doctors or Rural Medical Practitioners is causing patients a great distress. The patients in rural areas due to lack of awareness and lack of accessible facilities have to take treatment from RMPs. The RMPs are members of the village community who have shared understanding with the people. At times, they even tie up with doctors in corporate hospitals located in peripheries of the village and take commissions from them for bringing them patients. In such cases, patients have to pay much higher than the actual cost. “These RMPs not only take 40% commission but also harass patients while negotiating for payments,” said a surgeon from a corporate hospital located in Rangareddy.
The corporate hospitals located on the peripheries of cities are run by managements that do not have doctors as members. They hire doctors and get their patients from RMPs. With the corporate hospitals expanding their businesses, the ethical or friendly relationship that these RMPs earlier used to have with patients have now turned into mere business transactions.
Now many of these RMPs have even moved to urban areas and have opened clinics. “In such cases, they falter under Clinical Establishment Act as well. The task of conducting inspections lies with local authorities. DMHOs, district collectors and even DCA should conduct regular inspections to prevent quacks from practicing allopathic medicine. At times, the officials give them permission to practice by taking bribes,” Dr Naresh said.
No FIRs due to political pressure
The police officials have filed complaints against fake doctors caught by NMC except 12 cases pending in Bhupalpally and Kataram areas. Due to political pressure by local MLAs, FIRs have not been registered yet, Dr Naresh told Deccan Chronicle, indicating the influence RMPs hold in the system. Another significant aspect pointed out by Dr Naresh was that a large number of RMPs are found to be administering steroidal injections to the public, besides IV fluids. “The DCA is supposed to monitor how drugs reach these individual practitioners while only hospitals or drug stores registered with them are allowed to hold the stock,” he said.