A senior official in the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau approached a ‘nattuvaidyan’ in Thiruvananthapuram a couple of years ago to seek a lasting remedy for back pain. He was given a powder to be administered with liquor, which the ‘vaidyan’ claimed would “solve his problems forever.” The official passed out soon after he drank the ‘medicine.’
Doctors later found that his heart had almost stopped functioning and the blood circulation to the brain had been blocked. It took around a month of treatment to bring him back to normal life. With incidents of even high-profile people falling prey to unscientific practices on the rise, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is compiling the details of those using modern diagnostic tools and prescribing modern medicine without a basic degree in medicine. A list of people offering ‘magical cure’ too is being collected. Named ‘Operation Magic Hunt,’ the launch of the campaign follows a demand from the intelligence wing of the Kerala Police.
Details being collected
N. Sulphi, secretary, IMA Kerala chapter, told The Hindu that they had collected the details of over 500 such people from across the State. Most of them were located in districts such as Idukki, Wayanad, and Kasaragod, peripheries of Kottayam and the coastal belt of Alappuzha district. The IMA had asked 30,000 of its members spread across 100 branches in the State to chip in with information. Members of the public could send in information to operationmagichunt@gmail.com or imaksb@yahoo.com .
“It is illegal even to carry advertisements and features of people offering magic remedies. The police could take action as per the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954,” Dr. Sulphi said. IMA sources said serious side-effects and even deaths have been reported from various places as more people are approaching illegal medical practitioners.
Dr. Sulphi pointed out that it was often difficult to track these unethical practices as such people would shift their operations from one place to another if police registered cases against them. “Also, they can easily convince gullible people with their communication skills. The message about their ‘magical skills’ will spread fast through word of mouth and social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook,” he added.
