Crackdown on quacks prescribing allopathy in Tirupattur district

TIRUPATTUR: Joint director (health) Dr K Marimuthu sought tougher action against quacks practicing allopathic medicine without requisite qualifications in the district.

The demand follows daylong raids by a combined 12 special teams consisting of medical and police personnel on Wednesday. They nabbed 6 quacks from various localities in Tirupattur, Vaniyambadi and Ambur towns. The move resulted in quacks who got wind of the raids locking up their clinics in interior villages and absconding, sources revealed. Despite officials taking action against quacks, “they continue to proliferate due to the gullibility of rural folk who trust them,” a doctor who was part of the team told DT Next.

“Tirupattur SP Dr Balakrishnan ordered the constitution of special teams based on the numerous complaints received,” a police official said. Each team comprised an inspector, 2 SIs, a doctor, pharmacist and a drug inspector. The arrested quacks had been practicing allopathy in villages for more than 10 years. Those arrested were identified as S Palani (51) and K Velan (49) of Anganathavalasai near Tirupattur, V Parthiban (47) of Vaniyambadi, C Ganesh (30) of Jolarpet and D Jayapal (68) and K Govindasamy (47) both of Ambur.

The clinics of the arrested quacks were sealed after the team members confiscated the allopathic medicine and equipment. Though the special teams also visited the clinics of mobile “doctors” who moved from one location to another, they were unable to find any. “In addition to the six, we had arrested 4 more quacks a few days ago” Dr Marimuthu said.

“Not only do quacks give allopathy doctors a bad name due to botched treatment, they are also playing with the lives of people without proper knowledge of medicine,” a source revealed. Though during interrogation those nabbed claimed that their professional degrees were with private medical institutes in Chennai they were unable to answer even simple questions on allopathy medicines, team members revealed.

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