Karnataka: 7 clinics run by quacks shut down in Chamarajanagar

MYSURU: The Chamarajanagar health department has intensified its drive to crack down on quacks and has closed seven clinics run by fake doctors in the past week.
The department carried out the raids as many of the quacks were offering allopathic treatment without an MBBS degree. Officials are inspecting the clinics to verify the documents and certificates.
As the department received several complaints from the public regarding quacks operating their clinics in various taluks, a team of officials led by the district health officer carried out surprise inspections last week.
So far, they have shut down three clinics at Hanur town and one each at Ajjipura, Hugyam, Ramapura and Kudluru. The team has initiated to carry out similar drives in other taluks too.
DHO Dr KM Visveshwaraiah told TOI that officials had found that many of the quacks were offering allopathic treatment without an MBBS degree, two clinics were run by people other than the licence holders and the staff were offering allopathy treatment without a certified practitioner and were not even managed by qualified nurses.
As many of them had violated Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, the department shut down such shops and issued notices to them, Dr Visveshwaraiah said.
Chamarajanagar District Soliga Tribals Welfare Association vice president C Mahadeva told TOI, "As the district has 42 per cent of forest cover, dominated by tribal population, interior villages like Hugyam, Shaygam, Punajanur and several others in forested areas do not have access to medical facilities, thus becoming hotspots for quacks. As their treatment risks people's health and life, the government must crack down on such clinics and initiate measures to ensure medical facilities in such places of the district to end such menace completely."