Functionaries of the General Practitioners Association (GPA), Kerala, a forum of MBBS doctors, are receiving many phone calls on their ‘quack cell’ which was launched a week ago to collect information on unauthorised and unregistered medical practitioners in the State.
Ashik Basheer, State joint secretary, GPA, said on Saturday that the helpline recorded at least 14 cases across the State in the past few days. These are from districts including Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kozhikode, and Malappuram.
A police complaint had been registered against a 28-year-old woman who “worked as a doctor” without any qualification at a private hospital in Ernakulam district for three years. She had apparently used the registration number of a veteran neurologist from Kothamangalam on her medical prescriptions. The fake doctor had claimed that she was a “general physician” with an MD degree. This was unearthed by two members of the GPA who later joined the said hospital. A complaint had also been filed with the district medical officer. The accused is at large now.
The GPA functionaries claimed that the quacks include people without an MBBS degree, others who have not completed the course, medical students who have not been trained in modern medicine under a registered medical practitioner (RMP) during their course, and those who have not practised modern medicine under an RMP during their house surgency. Also, there are medical graduates who have not received their registration from the State medical councils, those who practise modern medicine between their house surgency and while awaiting their registration number, and foreign medical graduates or students without proper authorisation.
Dr. Basheer said the association was planning to file complaints with the Health department and the State Police Chief along with the Vice-Chancellor of the Kerala University of Health Sciences.
He pointed out that authorities should put in place a system enabling people to verify the details of any medical practitioner. The Department of Local Self-Governments too should be able to check their credentials. Though the National Medical Register had details of doctors registered with various State medical councils, they were not properly updated.
Dr. Basheer said the Kerala State Medical Councils should include an option on their website to access the details of registered doctors as done by the Tamil Nadu Medical Council.
The helpline number is 7736593003.
