Tamil Nadu: 72 quacks arrested for treating patients, prescribing medicines without license

Chennai: Taking action against unauthorized medical practitioners in Tamil Nadu, the state police have arrested 72 fake doctors over the past ten days as part of a special drive, following the directions issued by the Madras High Court in one of its recent judgments.   

The police took action against unregistered medical practitioners and those practicing allopathic medicine without a license, said the officials from Director General of Police office. 

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The Madras High Court in March had directed the Tamil Nadu police and the state government to take action against institutions offering unauthorized medical diplomas and against those who practice alternative medicine or offer treatment without the required qualifications. Medical Dialogues team provided a detailed reading of the judgment in a previous report. 

The police, health and revenue department officials, after receiving complaints and tip-offs, inspected a number of clinics, hospitals and medical shops across the state. 

Out of the 72 people arrested, 22 were from Tiruvarur and Thanjavur, eight were from Tiruvallur district, six from Salem, five each from Pudukkottai and Theni, and four each from Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Tiruvannamalai, three each from Perambalur, Nagapattinam and Villupuram, two from Dharmapuri and one each arrested from Madurai, Sivaganga and Karur. Many of them were unlicensed Siddha and Ayurveda practitioners, and unlicensed allopathic practitioners. 

P Cephas Kalyan, superintendent of police, Tiruvallur, said, "The court had directed police to take action against Siddha or ayurveda practitioners who practice allopathic medicine. We have registered a case based on a complaint from the Tamil Nadu Medical Council." He added, "Law permits ayurveda and Siddha practitioners to only prescribe allopathic drugs but the medical council has said that some practitioners treat patients using allopathic methods." 

According to a media report in TNIE, they were all arrested under Sections 15 and 15 (3) of the Indian Medical Council Act and under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), section 420 (cheating) and 416 (impersonation) of the Indian Penal Code and have been remanded in prison. 

The police said 12 quacks have been arrested from Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. Giving an example of a medical practitioner who was arrested two years ago for impersonating a homeopathic doctor from Jothipuram in Coimbatore district, a police officer told TOI, "He met government doctor Manoj Prabhu, who is currently working at the primary health centre at Thondamuthur, collected his business card and used his enrolment number." In another instance, two quacks arrested from the Coimbatore district claimed to have completed MBBS and MD courses in Philippines, but they failed to produce original documents. 

The state police DGP C Sylendra Babu said that they would continue to take action against quacks in Tamil Nadu with help from the health department.