Fake medical probationers galore in Chennai

[1]

There are over 1,000 quacks practising Indian streams of medicine in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Siddha Medical Graduates Association (ISMGA) has found. Senior doctors heading the ISMGA have stumbled upon a scam involving hundreds of people in possession of fake registration certificates — brilliant imitations, complete with forged signatures of health authorities and a rubber stamp from the medical council.

“Right now, we have 350 fake certificates in our possession. This is however just the tip of the iceberg,” says Dr B. Muthukumar, Member for Siddha in the Central Council of Indian Medicine.
It started when the Indian Medical Practitioners Co-operative Pharmacy and Stores (IMPCOPS) allegedly sent 400 certificates to the Indian Medicine Council for verification, in order to add the 400 people as new members. 350 of the certificates were found to be fake — the so-called doctors were not registered with the council.

“IMPCOPS is a co-operative society of over 15,000 members — all of them Indian medicine doctors from across the country. The president of the society has to be elected by the members, and the next election is in July. The current president of IMPCOPS was allegedly trying to include hundreds of quacks in the organisation, in order that he would be elected for a second term,” explained Dr Selvin Innocent Dhas, ISMGA president.

IMPCOPS manufactures drugs for the Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani streams of medicine, and supplies to several state governments. The National Institute of Siddha in Tambaram reportedly sources its medicines from IMPCOPS. All the doctor-members of IMPCOPS get a 25 per cent discount on the medicines; as a result, most private practitioners and Indian medical shops source their drugs from IMPCOPS, which has its headquarters in Thiruvanmiyur.

Apart from the 350 quacks recently caught out, the ISMGA has evidence that 140 others have been members of the cooperative since 2009.

“It is alarming that so many quacks have been fearlessly practicing in Chennai and other districts, without any qualifications to touch the patients. We have approached the commissioner of police and health officials to book these quacks under IPC 420, apart from other Acts. We also urge the other state governments of crackdown on quacks ,” says Dr Muthukumar. Patients should be alert and ask the doctor for his college degree certificate and registration number, he added.