Quacks Seek Licence to Work in Rural Areas of AP

Traditional rural medical practitioners, known as village doctors, are seeking a licence and training from the government so that they can continue with their profession with dignity and trust of the people.

However, senior health officials are giving a negative response, saying there is no such need as the government’s own health services have “improved remarkably and are reaching the farthest corners of the state.”

State working president of the federation of experienced medical practitioners welfare association, Dr Jangam Joshi, said around 50,000 village doctors were asked to shut down their clinics during the outbreak of Covid-19. Since then, they have been facing difficult times to eke out a living.

He said that during Covid-19 pandemic, they formed a bridge between the patients and the hospitals/doctors but they were later asked to shut down their clinics.

He said that a survey of the RMPs had begun last year to estimate their number and living conditions along with formation of a joint action committee of RMP associations with the support from TD politburo member and former MLC TD Janardhan.

“Janardhan has long advocated for the recognition and basic first aid training of RMPs in rural healthcare,’’ Joshi said.

He said after completion of the survey, the association will ask the government to revive GO 429 issued by the YS Rajasekhar Reddy government in 2008 for training and licensing. “We want basic training in first aid and be named as health providers and not doctors,’’ Joshi said.

But senior health officials of the tribal districts where these RMPs were predominant advocated against the recognition of these village doctors. “We have treated 7.5 lakh out-patients out of 10 lakh population in Parvathipuram Manyam district covering every village since January 1 this year and hence there is no need of these village doctors who were untrained and might harm the patients rather than doing good to them,’’ said district medical and health officer Bhaskar Rao, while taking to this correspondent.

He said though their services have been banned by the government, their first aid services were being accepted in good faith. “These village doctors have acquired rapid kits for malaria and even though the patients test negative they start treatment with high doses,’’ the DMHO said.

A similar view was expressed by additional DMHO of ASR district, Dr L Pratap. He said last month two children of the same family in the ASR district died due to jaundice. The family, instead of getting treated in a PHC, sought help from a quack.

“We accept their service as long as they give paracetamol tablets and fix a bandage to the patients and not beyond that. These doctors inject IV fluids to unknown diseases and fleece the innocent tribals huge amounts of money in the name of saving their lives,’’ Pratap said.