HC pulls up UP medical education department

Allahabad, Jul 18: Allahabad High Court has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file an affidavit showing cause as to why the state may not be stopped from taking admissions in the eight medical colleges of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine.

The order was passed yesterday by Justice Sunil Ambwani hearing a contempt petition praying that unauthorised and unregistered doctors shall not be permitted to practice medicine.

UP secretary of medical education has been asked to file the affidavit.

The court said a chart submitted with regard to identification of 32,245 quacks in 70 UP districts and action taken against only 8,486 appears to be wholly unsatisfactory.

''When the state government has identified the unqualified and unauthorised medical practitioners, efforts should be made to stop them from playing with public health.'' To ensure the presence of doctors in hospitals and primary health centres, the court has directed to put a notice giving name, address and telephone number of all doctors and employees, so that in absence of the doctor, public may make complaint against them.

Showing dissatisfaction with state officers, the court said the quacks were still proliferating and unauthorised medical practitioners still exceed the number of qualified and authorised medical personnel.

Court observed there were more than 2,000 vacancies in Provincial Medical Services. The performance of CHCs (community health centres) and PHCs (primary health centres) was hardly satisfactory due to absence of doctors and medical equipment.

UNI