DMA approaches HC against quacks

17/07/2011
DMA approaches HC against quacks practising allopathy

New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) In a bid to tighten the noose on 40,000 quacks and graduates of Indian systems of medicine, the medical association of the national capital has approached the Delhi High Court, seeking to restrain them from practising and prescribing allopathic medicines.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, which has heard brief arguments on the issue, has now fixed the petition of Delhi Medical Association (DMA) for hearing on September 9.

The DMA''s anti-quackery cell has also sought implementation of a Supreme Court verdict, delivered in 1998, prohibiting quacks, ''vaids and hakims'' (persons who graduated in Ayurveda, Unani, Homoeopathy and other Indian medical system) from practising and prescribing allopathic medicines.

V N Sharma, chairman of the anti-quackery cell, said, "The Delhi government and others, including the Drug Controller, be asked to ensure that no transgression is made by the practitioners of Indian systems of medicine into practise of modern scientific system of medicine/allopathic system."
Curently, around 40,000 quacks and 7,000 people, having degrees in Ayurveda, Unani and other Indian medical courses, are practising allopath and prescribing medicines in the national capital, the petition said.

It said the Anti-Quackery Act of 1998, prescribing prosecution of quacks and other ineligible persons for practising and prescribing allopathic medicines, is still pending with the Select Committee of the Delhi Assembly.
The petition has also sought initiation of contempt proceedings against the Delhi government, drugs controller, police commissioner and others for not implementing the Supreme Court v