Telangana Doctors Body demands Medical Council action against unregistered medical practitioners prescribing Scheduled drugs, threatens protest

Hyderabad: Taking cognizance of the issue of unregistered medical practitioners prescribing Scheduled drugs, the Healthcare Reform Doctors Association (HRDA) has submitted a letter to the Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) demanding legal action against such quacks.

The association has demanded the immediate formation of district-wise Anti-Quackery Committees.

The HRDA has further stated that it will stage an agitation if their demands are not considered by 2nd or 3rd week of next month.

In the letter submitted to the Registrar/Chairman, Anti-Quackery Committee, TSMC Hyderabad, the association stated, "We the members of HRDA here by bring to your kind notice that quacks in enclosed prescriptions prescribing scheduled medicines against IMC/NMC ACT rules and Telangana Medical Practitioners ACT 1968 rules as per G.O.Ms.No 129 HM&FW (E2) Dept dated 08-08-2013 and Hon’ble High Court order in WP(PIL) 286/2017. Hence sir, we you request to initiate criminal proceedings against them."

HRDA has sent a complaint along with 6th set of quacks prescriptions to Prl Secretary HM&FW, TSMC and DH to initiate criminal proceedings on them as per section 34 of NMC, Section 20, 21 and 22 of Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration ACT vide Rule 8 of G.O 129 and various other sections like IPC 420 etc.

The association has also sought details of action taken on previous 5 sets of quacks prescriptions.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, President of HRDA, Dr. Mahesh Kumar stated, " If information not provided and no action taken on our complaints within a week, HRDA after consulting all Medical Associations will hold Prajarogya Parirakshana Sabha 2.0 at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park in Feb 2nd or 3rd week after sensitising all Medical Colleges students and practising doctors for achieving the demands."

Extending support to HRDA, Dr Manish Jangra, Chief Advisor & Founder FAIMA stated, " This is a great step by HRDA, we were too planning it nationwide. We were working on it for past few days already and we will have a coordination committe including FAIMA members, state Medical council members and Police to ensure swifit action against quacks."

HRDA also raised some other demands including holding TSMC elections, increasing MBBS MLHPs pay, issuing TVVP Specialist doctors recruitment notification and so on.

The doctors have raised the following demands:

1) to immediately constitute District wise Anti-Quackery Committees as promised by Health Minister in Pragathi Bhavan meeting and take legal action on quacks.

2) To immediately issue notification for TSMC elections as per TS High court order in WP 1111/2019 & 10240/2021.

3) Pay hike to MBBS MLHPs.

4) Strengthening Primary Healthcare by allocating more budget for increasing PHCs, CHCs, Area Hospitals. TVVP Specialist doctors recruitment notification.

5) Implementation of G.Os 47 & 48 for permissions & renewals of clinics & hospitals.

6) Calendar year recruitment schedule through MHSRB.