Quacks thrive on inadequate health infra in city

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 24

Ludhiana city has only 29 government dispensaries to take care of the city population of 1,618,879. Of these, 16 have been updated to Primary Health Centres. There are two Mother and Child Hospitals, one near Vardhman Mill and the other on the premises of Civil Hospital.

With the influx of migrant population working at industrial units, 29 is too less a number. Half of these dispensaries do not have doctors and are dependent on the para medical staff and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs).

Less number of government dispensaries is the main reason behind flourishing quackery in the city. People belonging to lower strata of society, especially migrants, land in their net since there is no government dispensary nearby or there is no doctor to give specialised services.

Daljit Kaur, ANM at the Sarabha Nagar dispensary, has been taking care of the dispensary for the past two years since the authorities have appointed no doctor there. “I prescribe medicines for simple ailments such as fever, cough and cold but I cannot handle other patients. Around eight patients return without getting treatment daily,” she said.

Vikas Gaushal, who lives near Rose Garden, said whenever anybody in the family fell sick, they go to the doctor next door. “It is convenient for us as the doctor is nearby and there is no huge rush at his clinic. He attends to patients in a friendly manner and also gives his own medicines,” he said. Gaushal said he did not know about any government dispensary nearby. They avoid visiting Civil Hospital as it is always crowded with patients.

Minnie, who lives on Barewal Road, said she bought medicines from the nearby chemist. “Sometimes, my employer takes me to the doctor since it is not possible for me to afford hefty fees,” she said. When asked why she did not go to the government dispensary, she said one dispensary was located at Sunet village but it was too far from her place.

When asked about the cases registered against quacks by the Health Department, Dr Mohinder Singh, Assistant Civil Surgeon, said the department took action whenever it received complaints against any quack. “In May last year, a letter was issued to all medical officers of the dispensaries. They were asked to conduct surveys in their respective areas and take action against the self-proclaimed doctors running clinics without professional degrees. However, we did not receive even a single report in this regard,” he said.