Quacks do more harm than good to patients

In an interview with The Tribune, Dr Rajesh Kapila, HoD, Govt Medical College, shared his insights on dangers of ‘treatment’ provided by quacks.

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Akash, aged six and a half, was brought to us with a history of injury to the right arm. His arm was repeatedly massaged by a quack, and wrapped with a tight bandage. When he came to us, his fingers were black, numb and swollen, with no palpable pulse. We were left with no option but to amputate the limb.

Veena, a 56-year-old woman, came to us with a history of lower back pain with sciatica in the right leg. She too received ‘treatment’ from a quack. He gave her massage, and also applied pressure to her lower back with his knee. She experienced a loss of power in both legs, with an inability to pass urine and stool. We immediately performed spine surgery, and luckily, she recovered.

In both cases, simple conditions that could have been easily treated were made very difficult by quacks. Both these patients could have been saved of a lot of trouble, pain, time and resources, if they had not visited quacks.

Even in this age of science and technology, the myth that most orthopaedic problems can be managed by bonesetters is quite prevalent. In local parlance, these quacks are called ‘Sayane’ (the wise ones). However, the ‘treatment’ provided by them only worsened the condition of the patient. Surprisingly, not only poor and illiterate people, but educated ones too fall prey to these quacks.

Another common myth is that most orthopaedic surgeries are dangerous, have many complications, are expensive, and have doubtful recovery prospects. However, with recent advances in surgical techniques, these treatments have become much simpler, require small incisions, early rehabilitation, short hospital stays, and almost complete recovery.

If we consider the cost aspect, it’s true that some surgeries may be quite expensive in the private sector. However, Government Medical College provides most advanced treatments such as joint replacement, revision surgeries, fracture management, and spine surgery, at a very affordable price. Poor patients can also take advantage of government schemes like Ayushman Bharat to avail themselves of the free treatment.