SMC nabs 90 quacks, no FIR still

Surat, Apr 23: Even as the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has taken into custody more than 90 quacks from across the city, they are now facing difficulty in filing FIR against them as some of these ''fake doctors'' claim to have ''valid registration''.

SMC Deputy Commissioner of Health Dr I C Patel said, ''More than 90 quacks have been detained from various parts of the city and FIR has been filed against five of them. Even though they do not have valid qualification, they claim that they are authentically registered practitioners and are registered as homeopathic, ayurvedic, naturopathic or magnetic therapy practitioners.'' Mr Patel said this has imposed a legal limitation to take action against these doctors.

However, SMC sources said more than 300 quacks are practising in the city and many of them escaped as the campaign to nab them began.

Lack of sufficient doctors is said to be the reason for the rising numbers of fake doctors in Surat.

A SMC official told UNI that there are neither sufficient medical colleges in the city nor enough doctors to meet the demands of the people.

''In the last one decade, a lot of development took place in Surat but the health facilities are not satisfactory. Naturally the illiterate will depend upon the quacks,'' he added.

UNI