Fake doctor case: Gauhati High Court impleads home department
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court, while hearing a PIL on the issue of quacks, directed that the Home Department be impleaded as a respondent in the case.
A HC bench was hearing a PIL (No. 34/2023) by petitioner Dr. Abhijit Neog, seeking a direction from the court to order the Health Department to conduct a survey of quacks practicing in Assam and to ensure that they posses requisite qualifications, to establish a help-line and form an anti-quackery unit.
It is necessary to state here that persons who do not have any knowledge of the allopathic system of medicine but still practice such a system are referred to as quacks.
A writ petition was filed in the form of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to bring to the notice of the court the serious risk to the life and limb of the residents of the state, being caused by a large number of fraudulent persons who are practicing as doctors without the requisite and recognized qualifications and without being registered under the Assam Medical Council, the Indian Medical Registry, or the State and Central Register of NCISM (National Council of Indian System of Medicine) as required under Section 34 of the NCISM Act, 2020.
According to the plea of the petitioner, his constant efforts led him to expose a few of such fraudsters. However, considering the large number of such fake doctors who are practicing in every nook and corner of the state, it is essential that a thorough survey be conducted to identify and nab such fake doctors and punish them in accordance with the law. As such, the present public interest litigation was filed, seeking the intervention of the court in the issue.
The petitioner stated that he has submitted representations before the authorities requesting the setting up of a proper mechanism to identify and weed out the quacks and also to ensure that such quacks are not allowed to practice modern medicine. However, no concrete action has been taken in that regard, and, being left with no other option, the petitioner has approached the HC, seeking its intervention in the matter.
The HC bench perused the petition and asked the petitioner to implead the Home Department, Government of Assam, as a party respondent in the instant writ petition.
The bench asked the counsel for the petitioner to file the requisite application by the next date of listing, which is in four weeks. All the respondents were asked to file their respective affidavits in the meantime.
Following the filing of the PIL, the Director of Health Services ordered inspection of doctors’ chambers with the help of District Registering Authority in all districts of the state.
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