

BENGALURU: Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat CEO Yatheesh R on Tuesday directed the Health department to crack down on unqualified practitioners posing as gynaecologists and providing unauthorised treatment in the district.
Chairing the first quarterly district-level coordination committee meeting of the Health and Family Welfare Department’s National Child Health Programme, ASHA Monitoring and Grievance Redressal Programme, and National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis, Yatheesh said the presence of fake specialists in maternal healthcare is a matter of serious concern.
He noted that several individuals are treating women posing as gynaecologists. He instructed the Health Department to constitute special teams and conduct inspections at private gynaecology centres. Strict legal action should be initiated against those found practising without valid qualifications.
He said a detailed report submitted to the CM indicated that nutritionally poor food habits among lactating mothers were widespread, and could be contributing to health complications and malnutrition among children. He directed ASHA workers to document the dietary habits. A report should be submitted to the district administration to help identify gaps in nutrition and formulate awareness campaigns.