The Madras High Court has harshly criticised practitioners of electropathy as ‘quacks’ and asserted that they represent a violation of the right to health conferred upon all Indians. A petition was filed by a number of electropathy practitioners over purported interference in their practices by the authorities. As such, the petitioners sought a forbearance against […]
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Uttar Pradesh’s quack doctors in the firing line
In the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, quack doctors are in the firing line as a drive to root them out of practice has been announced. “A campaign against quacks and non-permitted clinics, nursing homes and hospitals will be initiated soon,” explained Agra’s chief medical officer Mukesh Kumar Vats. “A joint team of the health […]
Quack doctors crackdown on Mumbai
Authorities in Mumbai will be cracking down on quack doctors operating in the city, following the arrest of five unqualified practitioners earlier this month. “Bogus doctors are a menace to society and a threat to human life,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranay Ashok said following the arrests. “In this major crackdown, the police has busted […]
Quackery: An epidemic in India?
Chennai is on alert against quack doctors, whom officials say vex the city every year during its fever season. The news comes as a reminder of the epidemic of quackery in India: unqualified, unlicensed practitioners account for a staggering proportion of the country’s healthcare workforce. In the past decade, an estimated 1,500 quack doctors have […]
Quacks who kill should be held accountable
The family of a woman who died in 2000 after a homoeopath prescribed her medications that caused fatal complications have received justice in a consumer protection hearing which found the homoeopath liable for medical negligence. This is far from an isolated incident: numerous cases occur where so-called ‘quacks’ prescribe medicines improperly, resulting in the patient […]
How an unskilled workforce leads to subpar healthcare
When talking about the state of healthcare in India, accessibility is only one part of the problem. Healthcare must be readily available, yes, but it must also be high-quality. A workforce dogged by shortages of qualified personnel presents a significant challenge to making this a reality. New research published in BMJ Open shows that India […]
Telangana State Med Council asks govt if it has taken action against ‘quacks’
This article was originally published by The News Minute and has been republished with permission. By TNM staff The Telangana State Medical Council has issued a notice to all state district medical officers to report the action taken against any ‘quack doctors’ practicing as medical doctors, particularly in the rural regions of the state. This comes […]
Dentists to stand in as doctors?
It is no secret that India is short of doctors. In many areas, the situation is so dire that India holds a deficit of several thousand qualified professionals, leaving many public hospitals understaffed. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have devised a potential solution: allow dentists to practice medicine. Could such a solution work? […]
Fears of government-sanctioned quack doctors proven true?
Unlicensed and unrecognised groups have abused state mechanisms to allow hundreds of illegal quack doctors to claim they practice medicine legally, reports suggest. News of a bill proposed in the Lok Sabha that would allow practitioners of ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha and homoeopathy (AYUSH) to practise allopathic medicine has sparked fears in the Indian […]
What caused Uttar Pradesh’s HIV outbreak?
There may be more reasons behind Uttar Pradesh’s HIV outbreak in Unnao district than meets the eye. A quack doctor was held responsible after being accused of administering HIV contaminated injections to villagers. The case may continue for some time, however, state officials say they believe this man is not the sole cause of the […]