BANGALORE: A large banner on the Bannerghatta Road declares loudly that there is a cure for them all. Whether it be sexual problems or kidney trouble, the herbal medicines available here come with a promise that the patient will be cured within 10-15 days.
This is not a solitary cure-all camp.
Such ayurvedic camps set up in tents dot the city. Medicines here cost anywhere between Rs 200-250. Patients can take consultation for any number of diseases such as jaundice, viral fever, chicken pox, polio, paralysis, blood pressure, piles, diabetes, asthma, kidney disorders, sex problems, irregular menses, obesity, skin problems and even far severe ailments.
When Expresso quizzed the owner of the Bannerghata cure camp about his medical expertise, he assured us that he had in-depth knowledge of traditional medicines and was wellversed with unani, siddha, homeopathy, ayurveda, naturopathy.
“We belong to Maharashtra and possess long years of traditional healing experience. We have more than 20 such tent houses providing tradition healing treatment across the city, which regularly receive five to 10 patients every day. Not only this in each city but across the country we have set up 15-20 establishments,” he said.
The vendor has been here for over oneand- a-half years now.
“We treat patients using herbal medicines that are directly acquired from the Himalayan ranges, Kerala, and many more places,” he added.
However, without any stringent guidelines, these roadside medicine sellers are thriving at a rapid pace in the city specially catering to the poor patients who cannot afford treatment in the hospitals. Hundreds of such tents are established without the required licences or the degrees.
But are these so called specialists allowed to sell unscientific and traditional medicines? The roadside medical sellers are called quacks by the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) which claims to have no authority to take stringent action against the unqualified medicine sellers.
“As there are no guidelines in the Karnataka Medical Council code of ethics specifically do deal with such quacks, we cannot take action against them. The council is not liable for the growth of quacks. We can only take action against the qualified doctors who are enrolled under KMC,” said Dr Chiknanjappa, president, Karnataka Medical Council (KMC).
On being asked about the uncontrolled growth of these medicines sellers he added, “It is only the department of AYUSH or drugs controller or the police department which can stop such activities and clear such camps,” he added. The HOD of the drugs controllers department only the AYUSH department can act against such establishments.
“If we receive a complaint that these quacks are selling allopathic medicines also, we will immediately send an officer for inspection,” said Dr Jagashetty, HOD, Drugs controller department.
Dr Sreekantaiah, Director, Department of AYUSH said, “I will ask my drugs inspector to visit such places and verify their licence and if they have licenses at all, inspect the quality and content of the herbs and check if there are any harmful side effects to such herbs. We would certainly take stringent action against these quacks.”
veena@expressbuzz.com