3 arrested as Health dept crackdown on quacks continues

CHENNAI, TIRUVANNAMALAI, VILLUPURAM : Continuing its crackdown on quacks, the health department, assisted by local police, initiated action against four persons who were practising as doctors at Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai and Ulundurpet on Monday.

In all the cases, the persons were allegedly administering allopathy medicines to patients for several years before the raids on Monday following complaints from various quarters.

Acting on a tip off, a special team led by Tiruvannamalai Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, N Rajendran, raided a clinic run by Amalasami (71) functioning out of a house opposite the government hospital on the Chennai-Tiruvannamalai main road. He has completed only Class X, but using his experience while he was a health inspector of a primary health centre at Keezh Pennathur, Amalasami has been practising as a doctor since his retirement 11 years ago.

“With the little knowledge he gained when he was working in the PHC, he was prescribing medicines and administering injections to patients,” said Rajendran. Amalasami was arrested by Keezh Pennathur police. Sources in Chennai told Express that he was administering injection to a child when the team raided the clinic, and added that the seized drugs included antibiotics and steroids.

At Ulundurpet, the woman has been running a clinic for the past few years. When she started the clinic at Kalamaruthur village, Premakumari (58) began by prescribing siddha medicines. Over the years, she started administering allopathy medicines as well, sources said. Based on complaints, Villupuram district health department joint director Jothi sent a team to inquire the matter on Monday. When they asked for the certificates proving her qualification as doctor, officials came to know that she had only Class VIII education.

Meanwhile, in Kancheepuram, one quack was arrested while another escaped while being taken to the local police station. According to the officials, P Sarathy (55), has been practicing at Mariamangalam. “He had two certificates claiming to be DHMS and as private medical practitioner – which is not recognised – and has been prescribing both siddha and allopathy medicines. He was also administering IV fluids and had stocked antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs,” said Dr V Vijaykumar, joint director, DMS in-charge of Kancheepuram district.