Telangana: Three Booked For Illegal Medical Practice
Telangana State Medical Council (TGMC) found three individuals — Umaapathi and Surendra operating medical shops in Vemulawada and Sankepalli, and Bhandari Srinivas running a “first aid centre” — were performing allopathic medical treatments without MBBS degrees or proper authorisation.
Hyderabad:Telangana State Medical Council (TGMC) found three individuals — Umaapathi and Surendra operating medical shops in Vemulawada and Sankepalli, and Bhandari Srinivas running a “first aid centre” — were performing allopathic medical treatments without MBBS degrees or proper authorisation.
“These people were not just advising — they were injecting antibiotics, administering treatments and running what were essentially unlicensed hospitals,” Dr Bhandari Raj Kumar, of the council’s ethics committee who carried out the searches.
The accused falsely claimed that providing ‘limited’ or ‘basic’ allopathic treatment under a first aid licence is permissible, but no such clause exists in the law, he said. The inspections were carried out on the directions of council chairman Dr Mahesh Kumar and registrar Dr Lalayya
Cases have been filed against all three under the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act. Conviction can lead to up to one year in jail and fines up to ₹5 lakh.
Dr Bhandari said that only doctors with recognised MBBS degrees and registration with the Medical Council were permitted to practise allopathy. “No certificate from a private rural medical practitioner association or a few hours of first aid training qualifies anyone as a doctor,” he said.
The inspections also revealed that associated medical stores were illegally selling antibiotics, steroids, and Schedule H drugs without qualified pharmacists or prescriptions. The TGMC said it will forward complaints against these pharmacies to the Drug Control Administration and Pharmacy Council.
