'Quacks should not be encouraged': TS docs enraged by Harish Rao's support for RMPs

Hyderabad: Doctors, wearing black badges, held protests in several parts of the city on Monday protesting against Telangana health minister T. Harish Rao's comments supporting unregistered medical practitioners.

Telangana Junior Doctor Association (TJUDA) in Osmania General Hospital, Gandhi Warangal, Nizamabad, and RIMS Adilabad led the protest.

This comes after a video of Mr. Harish Rao addressing a meeting of RMPs and paramedical practitioners last week, through a phone, surfaced. In the video, the minister can be heard saying RMPs can prescribe medicines.

"Whether it is a doctor who has done MBBS or an RMP, action will only be taken against those who are performing surgeries and abortions without proper registration and permission. Otherwise, RMPs can prescribe medicines and continue their work. No action will be taken against them," the minister says on the phone.

The video was shared on Twitter by Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA).

Representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), Senior Residents Doctors Association (SRDA), Telangana Doctor's Federation (TDF), and TEA-Doctors Forum strongly condemned the minister's comments. They accused him of encouraging "quacks" and openly jeopardising public health. They demanded he withdraw his comments and implement laws to shut down establishments being run by unqualified persons/quacks.

"An RMP doctor's educational certificate is not enough. Many people who study RMP prescribe wrong medicines. Several cases of such medical negligence are observed especially in rural areas. They are quacks and should not be encouraged," said Dr. Karthick Nagula, the president of TJUDA and a student of Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad.

He explained, "Quack is a term used for all doctors who are unqualified and do not have a degree, including RMPs and those who practice allopathy and homoeopathy."

Saying that doctors study for several years after MBBS and also have hands-on training in hospitals, Dr. Karthick asked, "How can they equate us to those who study for only a few years?"

Dr. K. Mahesh, HRDA president, said a series of protests and public meetings have been planned at various places in the state by multiple doctors' associations and forums in response to the health minister's comments. "They will continue until the minister takes back his words," he said.

The associations have also decided to file a complaint against the minister and other politicians for supporting "quacks."