HEALTH

Fleecing patients with ‘fake’ degrees
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, June 6
Lack of education and awareness among city residents has led to a flourishing practice for around 50 medical practitioners in the district who are fooling people by claiming to be postgraduates in alternative medicine (AM). These medical practitioners, who can be dubbed as mere quacks, have fixed degrees to their names that do not exist or are not recognised by the Medical Council of India or the Punjab Medical Council.

A degree that reads M.D (AM), implying alternate medicine, is available for a few hundred rupees as compared to a MD (Medicine) that requires over three years of hardwork after an MBBS degree. It is not merely quacks who use fake degrees or memberships of medical institutions in place of degrees, even some doctors with a recognised graduate or postgraduate degree use these memberships of associations in the U.S.A, the U.K, Germany, Sri Lanka etc to be fool the patients. Surprisingly, many such doctors (MD Alternate Medicine) are the visiting consultants at various city hospitals.

These doctors have opened their clinics at places like Janakpuri, Civil Lines, on Rahon road, on Tajpur road, Shiv Puri, Basti Jodhewal, Sekhewal, Gandhi Nagar etc. Majority of the patients visiting these clinics are not much educated.

Ms Nirmala Rani, a 45-year-old suffering from hypertension, has been taking regular medicine from one such doctor at Shivpuri. She said, “One of my relatives had referred me to him. I have been on medication for past several months. Why should I ask for his qualifications when his prescribed medicines provide me relief”.

Dr S.N. Tiwari, Civil Surgeon, when contacted said, “To the best of my knowledge, such degrees are not recognised by the medical council or the university. Still many such doctors are fooling the innocent patients. We try to nab the culprits but they are too smart to be caught”.

Dr Gursharan Singh, member, Punjab Medical Council and president of the district unit of the Indian Medical Association, said such fraudulent practice was prevalent in the district for past many years. The Punjab Medical Council, the Medical Council of India or the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences do not recognise such degrees. The certificates of alternate medicines can be bought anywhere between Rs 500 to Rs 5,000.

“You sit at home, pay the price and get the certificate. We have been trying hard to stop this practice. We have requested the concerned authorities to keep a vigil on such practice but to no avail. These degrees should be removed and guilty should be punished as the unqualified people are playing with the lives of innocent patients”, stressed Dr Gursharan Singh.

Cricket meet from June 8
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, June 6
Six teams are expected to take part in the VIIth edition of Chaman Lal Malhotra Cricket Tournament (U-14) to be organised by the Ludhiana District Cricket Association (LDCA) here at the Arya College for Boys ground from June 8, according to Mr Vinod Chitkara, honorary secretary, LDCA. Interested teams may contact Mr Rajiv Bajaj, treasurer, LDCA, or Mr Chitkara at the venue on June 7.

Cricket meet
Our Correspondent

Khanna, June 6
The fifth summer holidays under-21 cricket tournament, organised by the Cricket Coaching Centre, Khanna, will commence from June 15 at Khanna according to coach V.K. Shrikant.

Twelve teams will participate in the tournament. The matches will be played on a league basis. For entries teams can contact coach V.K. Shrikant. Entries close on June 13. The tournament will be inaugurated by Achhar Dev, Municipal Councillor, Khanna.