Why Are Doctors Without Degrees Rising In India?

What do you visualise when you hear the term “ government hospital? Rotting beds, broken fan, and zero service, right? Today, we want you to picture something else. Imagine waiting for a simple consultation and moving from one room to another for your blood test. You are frustrated, you are angry, and you curse God for putting you in this hellhole. 

Moments later, a saviour comes with an innocent face and tells you,“ I will treat you with utmost care, I have the same knowledge as the doctor you are trying to visit.” You have a wide smile on your face. You take the help since you are desperate and take the medications prescribed by the person. 

The aftermath: months later, you find yourself lying in a hospital bed, due to the medicines you took when you were critical. Want to know who these wolves in sheep’s clothing are? 

They are known as Quacks, and they are responsible for countless deaths all over India. The authors of the Tribune stated that they are responsible for the death of 12.6 % of the population in Haryana alone. 

Quacks know the problem, and they know how to manipulate emotionally

Quacks target two types of people: Those who are desperate for help and those with low financial income. The ones who cannot afford private care, even if they tried hard. In rural areas of Bengal, Quacks rule. As reported by health world, people in Chakla go to Quacks instead of going to a fully functional medical facility. They want a Quick fix, and that’s where Quacks shine like the only star.

 Trust us, the truth is far worse than this. According to our research :

• Quacks “offer treatments” for various ailments and start their “medical facility” on roadsides. 
• They operate from tents, sometimes makeshift vans, and claim to have treated diabetes, arthritis, and even infertility as well. The story gets worse from now on. 
• They even use “rented” equipment from the medical institutions and misdiagnose with their limited knowledge of medicine. 
• According to TSMC Vice Chairman, D G srinivas, they are in cahoots with the medical facilities. In rural areas, where there are limited medical facilities, quacks set up 20- 50-bed hospitals employing untrained medical professionals who pretend to be real ones. 
• In some cases, they refer their patients to certain private diagnostic clinics to get a measly cut of 20 – 50% of cuts. They are way ahead in the game without getting the necessary certificates and permissions. Also, they are retaining them as clients while proving themselves as a real medical facility. 

But in the end, it is people who cannot afford a private consultation who pay the price. But when Screen Saga was doing its research, another fact stood out like a sore thumb. 

• 92.3% of Indians do not trust their healthcare system.
• If they do visit a healthcare facility, 70-80% of expenses are born out of pocket, landing them in poverty. 
• According to the Indian government, India has one doctor for every 1,457 citizens. 

The statistics don’t lie and have been the reason alone why quacks are still getting business. Quacks have identified a medical opportunity and treat daily wage earners and illiterates. Little do wage earners know that they are falling into the vicious loop, and they are signing their death warrant. 

Why is the government silent after knowing the facts?

A mandate was raised in the 2018 Lok Sabha sessions regarding the silence of the government. In the mandate, specific questions were asked. The speaker wanted answers on why there is a mess and what the government is doing to clean it.  In the same year, the BBC published a story in the form of a podcast, highlighting how India is the land of fake doctors and how they are operating legally. 

That was 2018, and seven years later, nothing has changed much apart from some legal notices and proceedings here and there. 

According to the Bangalore Mirror, the Karnataka High Court has instructed the state government to take care of the fake doctor menace, which is quite prevalent in the state. The judge further argued that it is unclear how the state is blissfully ignorant of the proliferation of general clinics without any action. 

A health official from Bangalore said, “The Karnataka Health Department shut 228 illegal clinics, issued notices to 450 practitioners, and aims to uproot this once and for all. To tackle the growing threat of fraudulent medical practitioners, a new KPME Act (section 21) grants taluk officers to inspect private medical practitioners and take legal action.”

For the first offence, there is a 25000 INR fine, for the second offence, the fine increases to 2.5 lakh INR with one year of imprisonment. A third-time offence can result in a 5 lakh INR fine with a 3-year jail term. 

But here is the real report, Despite the above numbers and huge crackdown, only a handful of them are serving a jail term. The reasons are many; for some, there is a delay in legal proceedings, which is allowing them to practice. Another section pays the minimal amount for a first-time offence and shifts their chambers elsewhere. 

Possible Solutions

There is a solution for every problem, and there is a curated list for this social problem as well. The solution is built on 3 multi 3-pronged approach, which is stricter law enforcement, public awareness, and improved access to qualified healthcare. Some of the solutions which might work are :

1. National Medical Commissions and State medical councils need to introduce a publicly accessible online registry that can be used in real time. Additionally, Aadhaar-linked medical licenses are used to ensure identity verification.
2. Local health officials need to step up their game. They should do a routine check and validate the credentials of doctors operating in and around their areas.
3. As we have mentioned earlier, the first time penalty is a fine of INR 25,000. What is needed of the hour is swift actions with stricter consequences. There needs to be fast-track courts, and there should be an increase in the conviction rate. 
4.  Even the local hospitals should have routine audits to ensure that tests are being prescribed by real doctors. This can be done by ASHA workers and primary health centres. Training them will only help in the long run. 
5.  Lastly, it is the prime responsibility of the citizens of India to report any wrong that is happening in society. 

Takeaway

Dear reader, we have listed every possible solution, cause, and rise of quacks in India. Now it is up to you to decide what you will do with this digital copy. Will you be aware, or will you still be desperate for help? 

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