Hyderabad: Following the state government’s decision to weed out illegal drug suppliers, sellers and quacks, the Telangana Drug Control Administration have been conducting round-the-clock raids in and around the city, mainly in Hyderabad’s Old City area.
In a recent crackdown, startling facts emerged that the quacks have been ruling the roost in Old City throwing all medical rules into the winds and endangering the lives.
During the raids, DCA caught a few people practising medicine without private medical practitioner (PMP) or rural medical practitioner (RMP) certificates. Antibiotics, steroids, anti-ulcer drugs, antihypertensive drugs etc., along with physician’s samples from the raided clinics that were being run in dingy lanes of Old City were seized.
On Wednesday night, a quack was caught in Vattepally Fatimnagar for practising medicine without medical certificates. Drugs were also seized.
A pharmacy was raided at Falaknuma station road as the alleged pharmacist could not produce the mandatory licenses.
A Unani clinic-cum-pharmacy was raided after the management failed to comply with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and published claims of treating different ailments on the medicine packs.
According to DCA officials, the quacks are operating in Tallabkatta, Vattepally, Hassannagar, Sultanshahi, Jahangirabad, Hafeez Babanagar, Tappachabutra Jhirra, Golconda, Shaheennagar and other areas, mostly inhabited by daily wage migrant labourers. These ‘clinics’ operate after 9 pm.
Last year, the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) submitted proofs relating to over 300 quacks, including unqualified practitioners from Hyderabad as well as other parts of the state to the health authorities.
The report suggested the HRDA received several complaints from patients on quacks and unqualified healthcare professionals writing allopathic medications, resulting in serious health complications.
Based on the report, 52 additional quacks were tracked and exposed by the DCA.
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