In an effort to combat quackery in Telangana, the Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) has identified and filed lawsuits against allopathic practitioners who do not hold an MBBS degree. Quackery, or the practice of medicine by unqualified individuals, poses a major hazard to public health due to the potential of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. The TSMC has filed about 300 First Information Reports (FIRs) against these individuals, who operate out of clinics and healthcare establishments throughout the state, in an attempt to stop this threat.
This effort is significant since it is the first time that Telangana’s State Medical Council has taken the lead in locating and punishing quacks. Historically, the local Drug Control Administration (DCA), which is in charge of taking legal action against unlicensed medical practitioners, has been in charge of this responsibility. But today, in Telangana, the DCA and the TSMC are operating separately to search clinics, look for unlicensed practitioners, and bring formal complaints against them.
TSMC has established special committees made up of senior office bearers to look into unethical activities in nursing homes and other healthcare facilities in an effort to increase the initiative’s efficacy. These committees not only file police cases against quacks but also follow up with local authorities to ensure that chargesheets are filed against the individuals implicated.
Dr. G Srinivas, the vice-chairman of TSMC, underlined that unqualified practitioners represent a severe risk to society by giving inadequate or harmful therapies. It is challenging to take action against these practitioners because, in spite of the dangers they pose, they have grown in prominence, formed associations, and have the backing of local public officials.
The Telangana Drug Control Administration (TSDCA) has been taking aggressive measures against quacks in addition to the TSMC. The DCA has filed 92 cases against these people since January 2023, concentrating on those who are engaged in the illicit selling of drugs and unauthorized stocking. 26 raids were carried out in September alone, and pharmaceuticals worth Rs 9.16 lakh, including steroids and antibiotics, were taken from unregistered clinics.
Quacks are subject to fines of up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment for up to a year under the National Medical Council Act of 2019. The law fortifies Telangana’s battle against quackery by enabling state medical councils, such as the TSMC, to take action against anyone who practice modern medicine without the required credentials.
SOURCE :
TELANGANA TODAY
