At a crucial discussion held at the IMA Hall in Koti, healthcare experts and medical professionals strongly opposed the presence of quack doctors in Telangana, emphasizing the severe threat they pose to public health. The event, presided over by IMA President Dr. Duvvuru Dwarakanadha Reddy, Secretary Dr. Ashok, and Action Committee Chairman Dr. Ashok Reddy, addressed the issue of unauthorized medical practitioners and the urgent need for government intervention.
Professor Kodandaram, Chief Advisor to the Government, acknowledged that quackery cannot be eliminated immediately, but stressed the importance of regulating the sector. He suggested training quacks as community paramedics and called for the establishment of a Telangana Health Commission, similar to the state's Education Commission, to regulate the medical sector.
However, doctors at the meeting strongly protested this proposal, demanding strict action to eradicate quacks instead of integrating them into the system. They argued that just as the government has acted against fake seeds and counterfeit medicines, it should introduce legislation to eliminate quackery with a clear deadline.
• Indiscriminate use of antibiotics, leading to organ failure and deaths.
• Misuse of medications, such as treating fungal infections with tropical steroids, putting rural populations at risk.
• Severe gaps in healthcare, particularly in slums and rural areas, where quacks are filling the void due to a shortage of government-appointed doctors.
Speakers, including TGPMC Vice Chairman Dr. G. Srinivas, revealed that 412 quacks have already been identified, with legal action initiated against them. National Medical Council Chairman Dr. Ravindra Reddy, speaking via Zoom, described the increasing establishment of unregulated nursing homes in cities as a tragedy.