S Vignesh of Arani runs a registered private clinic at Kalavai, near his town. When he learnt that several quacks were running allopathy clinics in the area, he filed a police complaint with video and pictures to substantiate his allegations. In his letter, he said “ many of these quacks were ‘ treating patients not having any qualification.”
He said one of them had completed a course in industrial training units (ITI). Pharmacists, homeopathy , siddha practitioners and even sweepers who work at other private hospitals in the neighbourhood, were running clinics and charging anything from Rs.100 to150 from patients who visited them.
Vignesh said “ some of them even administer injections. Villagers who go to their clinics do not know that they were not qualified to give treatment”. On August 31, some from the government allegedly leaked the Vignesh’s contact details and whereabouts to the quacks. Armed with this information, two men who were later identified as Azees and Rafeeq assaulted Vignesh and threatened him for complaining against their clinics. They told him that they were better doctors and their treatment methods were way better than that of qualified medical practitioner. Vignesh , who received multiple injuries was treated in a government hospital.
Based on the complaint from Vignesh, police registered an FIR against the duo for the assault. The Tamil Nadu Students Association and Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors’ Network had condemned the attack and urged the health department to take immediate action against such quacks who become threats to human lives in rural areas. Both the arrested persons have been released on bail on the same day. Indian Medical Association (IMA) Tamil Nadu branh unit, has extended support to Vignesh . It also sent a letter to the Director General of Police requesting for issuing proper directions to the police officials in this regard.
In April this year, as part of the ongoing drive against quacks as many as 72 fake doctors were arrested during the last 10 days across the State. “ Of the 72 fake doctors, 12 were arrested in Thiruvarur and 10 from Thanjavur. As many as 8 from Tiruvallur district, Six from Salem, five each from Pudukkottai and Theni, four each from Cuddalore, Ariyalur, and Thiruvannamalai, three each from Perambalur, Nagapattinam and Villupuram, two from Dharmapuri and one each from Madurai, Sivaganga and Karur were held . The accused are not registered with the Indian Medical Council and are those who don’t have the required professional qualification to practice as doctors.”, says a police release.
