Don't address RMPs as doctors: Telangana HRDA locks horns with state Health Minister

Hyderabad: Alleging that the Rural Medical Practitioners (RMPs) are operating a full racket for illegal sex determination and abortion in Telangana, the doctors under Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) recently slammed the Health Minister of the State T Harish Rao for restricting authorities from taking action against the RMPs.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, the President of HRDA, Dr. Mahesh Kumar K. mentioned how they have no hope with the Government taking action against the quacks and they are waiting for the State Medical Council elections for the new office bearers to take charge and initiate action against these RMPs.

The Doctors' body has also written to the speaker of the State Legislative Assembly requesting to remove word “Grameena/RMP-PMP Vaidhyulu” from records of assembly sessions and also pass communication to all Legislative Assembly and Council members not to use word Doctors to address unregistered/fake medical practitioners.

Sharing a Tweet about the issue, HRDA stated, “Quacks (misnomer RMPs) in TS are in full swing doing sex determination & abortions of female child that too on women’s day Unfortunately HM @BRSHarish supporting them by restricting authorities from taking action considering as vote bank keeping TS public health at stake Act now.”

The Tweet also referred to a news article about illegal abortions being held at a private hospital in the Suryapet district of the State. Referring to this, HRDA President mentioned how unqualified RMPs or quacks operate in the State and run the racket for illegal sex determination and abortion. They learn from the YouTube about the way of sex determination and run a whole syndicate.

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Dr Mahesh Kumar also pointed out that the Government of India allows a non-medical person to establish hospitals and terming it a matter of concern he claimed that this ultimately leads to the commercialization and illegal activities start along with it.

Recently two ladies had approached these quacks in Suryapet district since they did not want any more girl child. After knowing the sex of the child illegally, they went to a private hospital for abortion of the baby. Doubting the ladies, the hospital authorities informed the Police. After investigating the matter, Police came to know that overall seven RMPs are involved in the illegal sex determination racket.

Police have arrested them and the medical officer who had done the abortion, has also been named in the FIR. However, HRDA President Dr Mahesh Kumar claimed that the doctor was not guilty.

Speaking about this, he mentioned, "The issue is medical termination is not illegal. So after knowing the sex of the baby from the quacks, the patients approach the hospitals and doctors for abortions. They cite different reasons for not continuing with the pregnancy. Similarly, in this case, the medical officer also has been named in the FIR. This is unfortunate because as far as we know he is not involved in the racket."

He also claimed that the Government is not taking any action against these quacks for keeping their vote bank secured and added, "The Government is not telling the council to take action and the council is also afraid to take action because they are all nominated by the Health Minister. Elections are pending. Government is delaying the elections even though court asked them to conduct the elections."

"After the three-months period is over, we will find contempt for not conducting the elections. After elections, the elected members will take charge of the council and they will take action. So, there will be no need to depend on the government for action," he further mentioned.

Meanwhile, the association has also written to various authorities for taking action against the quacks operating in the State. In a recent letter directed to the Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly, the association referred to the G.O dated 29.06.2015, which stated, “13. However the Community Para Medics shall not call themselves as Doctors”

Referring to this, the association pointed out how despite this clause many Legislative Assembly and Council members address unregistered practitioners as doctors in the assembly speeches.

"Such speeches are misleading common public to consider them as qualifies doctors in turn who are misusing by prescribing schedule medicines, abortions deteriorating public health," stated the letter dated 10.03.2023.

"Moreover the said subject of training to unregistered practitioners/fake doctors is in purview of Hon’ble High Court in WP(PIL) Nos 286 of 2017 and 2 of 2023. And also Supreme Court in its latest judgement in Civil Appeals in SLP(C) Nos. 32592-32593 of 2015 as well as TC (C) No. 24 of 2018 and TC (C) No. 25 of 2018 scrapped The Assam Rural Health Regulatory Authority Act, 2004 which is for Rural Health care and their practice in rural areas," it added.

With this, the association has requested the Sri Pocharam Srinivas Reddy garu, the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, and Sri Gutha Sukender Reddy garu, the Chairman of Telangana Legislative Council to remove word “Grameena/RMP-PMP Vaidhyulu ” from records of assembly sessions and also pass communication to all Legislative Assembly and Council members not to use word Doctors to address unregistered/fake medical practitioners.

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