Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Law to curb quacks urged

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Medical Council on Friday urged the State government to enact a legislation to contain the problem of quackery and also form a separate police wing to tackle quacks.

Addressing presspersons, council president K. Prakasam and vice-president M. S. Ashraf said the government must take steps to pass the Bill in the Assembly before the end of the year. People, especially in the rural areas, were affected when they sought treatment from quacks. District-level monitoring was a must to check quackery.

On the issue of doctors contributing media articles regarding the treatment of various diseases, the officer-bearers said when doctors used the media to solicit patients, it would be in violation of the Code of Medical Ethics. The council, Dr Prakasam said, had received many complaints regarding such activities. If the doctors continued to advertise in the media, strict action would be taken against them. Their names would be removed from the State Medical Register and also from the Indian Medical Council and their licences suspended.

However, doctors can write about public health issues without carrying their photographs along with the articles, he added.

The council also resolved that in exercise of powers under Section 16 and 17 of the Tamil Nadu Medical Registration Act 1914 and General Clause Act under Chapter 8, Sub-Clause 8.2 of Indian Medical Council (Professional and Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations 2002, the name of L. Prakash, who had been given life sentence by a Fast Track Court, be permanently removed from the Register of Registered Medical Practitioners.

With regards to Palani Ravichandran, who was arrested in Mumbai recently for involvement in a kidney scam, Dr.M.S.Ashraf said the council asked him to appear before a disciplinary committee.

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