How Growing ‘Quackery’ In India May Be A Threat To Indian Healthcare

A Quack is a person who is neither qualified to practice nor possesses the requisite license. Thanks to a coffee doctor-population ratio and poor public spending, there has been an increased possibility of the entry of quacks.

There are many cases reported every day of patients who have suffered major health setbacks or maybe died thanks to receiving allopathic treatment from unqualified quacks. This is often the tip of the iceberg as most cases of malpractice go unreported.

It’s been reported that the number of quacks is increasing in India, both in urban and rural areas. It’s estimated that about 10 lakh quacks are practicing allopathic medicine, out of which 4 lakh belong to practitioners of Indian Medicine. The health of the gullible people including the poor, critically ill, women and youngsters are at stake.

In February 2018, Rajesh Yadav, better referred to as dus-wala doctor, a quack who ‘treated’ patients in UP’s Bangarmau town, about 300 km from Agra, was arrested for allegedly infecting dozens of individuals with HIV by employing a common syringe.

It had been reported that a 47-year-old man from Tamil Nadu who succumbed to Covid had been treated by a quack every week ago. The results are miserable. There are other similar cases within the country during the pandemic where quacks are treating Covid-infected patients.

The subterfuge adopted by practitioners of Indian Medicine is that provisions of medicine and the Cosmetics Act 1945 allow them to practice Modern Medicine.

Unfortunately, certain State Governments have issued notifications under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act in such vague words that it appears, the practice of recent Medicine by practitioners of Indian Medicine has been permitted. Such notifications are altogether faulty within the eyes of Law.

Such notification must be withdrawn by the government of State immediately. Also, there’s a spread of faux medical degrees like electro-homeopathy, indo-allopathy, etc. who call themselves Alternative System of drugs and under this guise practice Modern Medicine.

Alternative System of drugs isn’t recognized by law. Since they’re a danger to the state, there’s a requirement to require action against such quacks.

The increasing number of quacks in India has shown us how we’ve failed as a competent healthcare system. Consistent with the Health Affairs report, only 30 villages in India have a doctor with an MBBS degree. The low socio-economic statuses of households make them obliged to consult a quack.

They supply medication heavily steroid-based which may provide instant relief but also allows the underlying ailment to worsen. By the time the patient goes to a licensed practitioner, it’s too late. Also providing public care in scattered rural outposts may be a very costly option.

Though the government was to staff these posts, the number of patients would be so low that doctors may effectively provide care to only five-six patients each day.

As of now, imparting training to enhance the competence of providers within the informal sector and providing villagers transport to hunt care from health care providers located in larger towns when in an emergency seems to be the only alternatives.

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