Hyderabad: In a major step to control the rising threat of unqualified medical practice, the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) has filed FIRs against 500 fake doctors across the state.
These individuals, often referred to as Unqualified Medical Practitioners (UMPs), were found prescribing medicines and treating patients without having any recognised medical qualification. Many of them falsely claim to be Rural Medical Practitioners (RMPs), a title that closely resembles Registered Medical Practitioners are the doctors with MBBS degrees.
TGMC Vice Chairman Dr. G. Srinivas said these individuals are putting lives at risk. “They pretend to be rural doctors and give treatment without proper training or medical knowledge. Legally, such ‘practitioners’ are not recognised as doctors. They neither hold valid degrees nor are they allowed to practice medicine,” he said.
The TGMC has been actively identifying and reporting such cases. According to officials, the number of FIRs registered in just over a year shows how widespread the problem is in Telangana.
Interestingly, TGMC teams have often acted faster than local health officials in taking action against these fake practitioners.
Senior doctors have pointed out that the district health departments, which are responsible for approving and monitoring health establishments, must take stronger action against illegal clinics and unqualified individuals.
