Medical Council Files FIR Against Quack Prescribing Allopathic Medicines without Qualifications

Hyderabad: Taking action against a quack for running a clinic and prescribing allopathic medicines without the required qualification (MBBS degree), the Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) has filed a First-Information Report (FIR) at the Jubilee Hills police station in this regard.

The complaint was filed by TSMC Vigilance Officer Sri M. Ramu, who has the responsibility to inspect and bring to the Council's notice the irregularities and illegal practices in allopathic medicines.

As per the complaint, the concerned officer inspected a clinic called "First Aid, Surakshita Clinic", run by one Dr. K. Mahesh prescribing allopathic medicine and practicing allopathy. During the inspection, the officer found certificate issued by Community Paramedics Welfare Association (CPWA), and a certificate issued by the Indian Red Cross Society for Basic First AID Certificate.

Alleging that the concerned person was running a clinic without allopathic medical qualification, TSMC filled the FIR and along with the complaint, the officer also attached a copy of the prescription written by the concerned person. Accordingly, the police registered a case under Section 420 of IPC and Section 22 r/w 20(ii) of the TSMPR Act.

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Deccan Chronicle mentioned in a recent media report that the council has launched raids on quacks in the State and within a few weeks, it visited a few clinics and caught many red-handed and issued notices. Commenting on the matter, the Vice-chairman of TSMC Srinivas Gundagani said, "More raids are to happen soon; we will fulfil our promise of weeding out the problem that quacks pose to patients."

He further mentioned that in recent months, the Healthcare Reforms Doctors' Association (HRDA) found close to a thousand quacks with enough evidence such as prescriptions. "These were collected by several vigilant registered doctors whose patients had earlier consulted a quack and came back to them as a result of side effects or other complications. Some shocking proofs are those of serious amputations, normal deliveries, hernia operations, abortions C-sections and the worrisome trend of prescribing potent antibiotics for small sickness," he added.

Meanwhile, the rules implemented by the National Medical Commission (NMC) prescribe that the quacks may face a fine of up to 5 lakhs or one-year imprisonment if they are caught.

The Council has also written to the AYUSH Council regarding the Ayurveda doctors prescribing allopathic medicines. Referring to the issue, Srinivas Gundagani further added, "The problem of crosspathy too is illegal and needs to be checked. Allopathic doctors can't prescribe homoeopathy medicines, and Ayush doctors can't do so with allopathic medicines."

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in a bid to ensure transparency and authenticity, TSMC is set to launch an online database of registered doctors. As per the council, this user-friendly registry would be accessible to the public, allowing individuals to easily verify the legitimacy of doctors before seeking their consultation.

With over 60,000 doctors enlisted in TSMC, the absence of digital records posed a challenge during council elections. Renewing registrations was particularly difficult as there was no online option available. In the absence of a streamlined process, TSMC introduced a portal during the recent elections, addressing concerns related to certification, renewals, NoCs for practising in other states, and more.

Also Read: Quackery Crackdown: Telangana Medical Council to launch online registry of doctors