CPS Sidhu seeks amendment in anti-quackery law
Expressing concern over the threat posed by quacks, nearly 10 lakh of whom are practicing in allopathic and traditional medicine, to the health of gullible people, chief parliamentary secretary (health) Navjot Kaur Sidhu has urged union health minister Harsh Vardhan to bring about an immediate amendment in the anti-quackery law.
Expressing concern over the threat posed by quacks, nearly 10 lakh of whom are practicing in allopathic and traditional medicine, to the health of gullible people, chief parliamentary secretary (health) Navjot Kaur Sidhu has urged union health minister Harsh Vardhan to bring about an immediate amendment in the anti-quackery law.
In a letter to the Health Minister, Dr Sidhu said that the increasing rush of addicts seeking de-addiction treatment had led to the proliferation of quacks, with the result that a majority of these patients had fallen prey to wrong treatments resulting in steroid abuse, which could prove to be fatal.
“Also illegal selling of ‘Buponorphine’ drug, which is available in every nook and corner of Punjab, at exorbitant rates, is going to prove fatal,” she said.
The CPS added that drug addiction is a very serious issue wherein each patient needs to be handled as a separate case with specified dose, round-the-clock observation, proper counselling, physical and mental care through yoga, pranayama and increasing social acceptance and proper rehabilitation by government.
“Such large scale mushrooming of quacks and toothless laws will be a disaster for Punjab,” she said.
Dr Sidhu maintained that there have been cases when patients suffered health setbacks or even died after receiving treatment from quacks.
The CPS rued that the acute lack of awareness among state gover nments, le gislature, judiciary and even doctors on threat to nation’s health from quackery and about non-entitlement of practitioners of Indian medicine practicing modern medicine.