Goa- Crackdown on quacks in state

TAKING STOCK
Crackdown on quacks in state
20 Docs Reprimanded, Five Issued Notice
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: The treatment involved just a few tablets and maybe a cough syrup.
But what the patient, a 10-year-old girl got was Decdak, a steroid, given to patients suffering from acute rheumatic conditions, bronchial attacks or fatal cardiac conditions.
The 10-year-old joins the increasing number of patients who are ‘treated’ by quacks, only to get into bigger complications.
When she developed cold and fever, her parents took her to a ‘physician and surgeon’ in Sanquelim.
“For every MBBS doctor in the state, there are two quacks running successful private practice,” said Disciplinary and Ethics Committee chairman Dr Ulhas Karpe.
According to Dr Karpe, they mainly operate in the villages.
“They carry out practice especially in villages of Canacona, Paryem, Mollem, Keri, Cuncolim, Valpoi and Honda, where the of government clinics are less,” said Dr Karpe.
Alarmed with the increase in incidents of quackery and cross practice by unqualified persons in the state, the Goa Medical Council (GMC) at its meeting in December 2007 decided to appoint Dr Karpe and conduct a survey to collect information regarding such quacks.
It was also decided to issue notices to them (quacks), conduct inquiries and then take appropriate action.
“During the survey, we learnt that there were two types of people indulging in quackery in the state — ayurvedic and homeopathic graduates prescribing allopathic drugs and persons having no medical qualification, doing medical practice,” said Dr Karpe.
He added that the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee has already filed a case against one ‘quack,’ reprimanded about 20 doctors and sent notices to five. “And, the list is still increasing,” insists Dr Karpe. During the survey the committee also learnt that there were some ‘doctors’ who ran successful practices and
charged anything between Rs 70 and Rs 200 as fees.
It was also shocking to learn that they did not even complete high school.
Take the case of a mother and son have a roaring medical practice in Indiranagar.
“While the mother calls herself a “ladies’ specialist” and has no qualification, the son, armed with a diploma degree in health care treats men in the area. This is illegal,” said Dr Karpe.
The Goa Medical Council (Amendment) Act, 2005 clearly states that those falsely claiming to be registered and using titles or degrees without authority can be punished and convicted with a fine that may extend up to Rs 50,000 or imprisonment up to two years or both.
“Though the law is in place, there nothing is being done,” added Dr Karpe.

June 16, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition