Malkangiri: It seems healthcare has turned into a farce in Malkangiri where instances of doctors playing with lives of patients and quacks ruling the roost in rural areas have become common. And now, mushrooming illegal private health clinics in several urban areas of the district, most shockingly near the district headquarters hospital, is making things even worse.
Even as the illegal clinics continue to flourish under the very nose of the administration, there has been no noticeable action against the alleged exploitation of patients.
Sources said that numerous health clinics run by self-proclaimed medical practitioners have been found treating patients without necessary clearances. Many a times, even small kids are administered injections by these 'fake' doctors.
Such unregistered clinics are taking out diagnosis reports and even prescribing medicines at will to patients. The clinicians are generally targeting patients from rural who come in search of better healthcare.
Much to the surprise, such fake health labs have been operating for years without worrying about action on the part of administration.
Dinesh Patnaik, a local resident of Malkangiri said, “Forget about quacks, now people are even exploited in the name of healthcare in urban areas. The most dangerous aspect of such clinics is that since most of them are lacking registrations, in case of complaints, they use it as a window to escape.”
When asked about the prevailing scenario, the Chief District Medical Officer said that stringent steps will be taken to stop this rampant business of health clinics in the district.
CDMO Anil Kumar Mishra said, “We encourage sincere clinicians to ensure that their labs are registered for accountability, but in case of those who are operating without any necessary know-how, especially the quacks in villages, action will be taken against them.”