Quacks rule the roost in Odisha’s Ganjam  

Taking advantage of the ignorant and superstitious people and with the district admin looking the other way, quackery is ruling the roost with self-styled physicians running parallel healthcare facilities in the rural areas of Ganjam district. 

OTV team came across a clinic at Haridachira Square under Karachuli Panchayat. A peep into the clinic will be enough to guess the quality of treatment being provided here. There was an old stethoscope on the self and some medicine strips with layers of dust on them. And the condition of instruments required for operation was least said the better. 

From this, one can guess how the self-styled doctor is playing with the lives of the people. 

The clinic was run by Swapna Kar, a native of West Bengal.  

“I don’t have a license. I only give medicine for cold and gas,” said Kar. When asked about the operation equipment, he parried the question. 

Falling victim to such a quack, a person lost his life three months ago. 

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A resident of Chudangpur village under Sanakhemundi block, Pintu Sethy, 32, was suffering from a hydrocele problem. He would drive to run his family. Three months ago, he suffered severe pain. He went to Nirup Biswas, a quack. After the operation, his condition deteriorated and he breathed his last. 

“Without informing us, he along with some friends went to a Bengali doctor. We were shocked to see that his entire body had turned blue. We immediately took him to the hospital where the doctor declared him dead,” said the deceased’s wife. 

The team stumbled upon another such fake clinic at Keshapur under Khallikote block. From the outside, it looked like a medicine store with a board. However, a dental clinic was also operating from the store without a license.

“I am a Matric pass out. I don’t have an MBBS. I treat the patients in the presence of sir,” said Swapna Biswas, store owner.

Expressing his concern, a health expert of Khalikote, Dr Haraprasad Mohapatra said, “Government should take stringent action against them and stop such practice.”

When asked, CDMO, Ganjam, Dr Umashankar Mishra said,” I have already instructed for a field visit. On the basis of the report, we will take action.”