Hyderabad:Doctors have expressed concern over minister D. Sridhar Babu's statements in a meeting indicating that the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) should support rural medical practitioners (RMPs) and private medical practitioners (PMPs). Doctors have urged the minister to retract his statements and support the TGMC take action against the RMPs instead.
TGMC vice-chairman Dr Srinivas Gundagani said that being a statutory body, the council can take suo motu action against RMPs under the National Medical Commission Act. "These rural practitioners are unauthorised and do not have the necessary qualifications to practise allopathic medicine. TGMC has been conducting raids on establishments being run by these quacks and have filed FIRs against them after collecting all the evidences," he told Deccan Chronicle.
IMA Telangana state president Dr P. Kali Prasad Rao, state general secretary Dr J. Vijay Rao, and treasurer Dr Rajendra Kumar Yadav demanded that the minister retract his statements and urged the government to fully cooperate with the TGMC.
The IMA said that providing short-term training to individuals who are not knowledgeable in modern medicine could be harmful to public health. The government should focus on appointing trained modern medical professionals in rural areas to improve healthcare facilities, it said.
They demanded that the state government issue clear directives stating that RMPs and PMPs should not use the title "Doctor." The government must take appropriate action to prevent unqualified and untrained quack doctors from endangering public lives.
Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association and Telangana Junior Doctors Association also condemned the minister's statements. "This irresponsible encouragement of quackery puts vulnerable lives at risk and undermines the medical profession's integrity. Patients deserve evidence-based care from licensed professionals, not unproven and potentially harmful treatments," they stated.
"The very essence of establishing healthcare facilities like basthi dawakhanas, palle dawakhanas, sub-centres, and PHCs is to ensure that citizens receive proper medical care. When a figure of authority seems to endorse quacks and exerts pressure on the TGMC to halt raids, it undermines the integrity of our healthcare system," said TJUDA in a statement.
