Top Health Frauds and Quackery in India
Quack - One who misrepresents his or her ability and experience in diagnosis and treatment of disease or effects to be achieved by his or her treatment. They may believe in what they are saying. This would make them a dupe as well as a quack.
’Quackery’ derives from the word quacksalver(someone who boasts about his salves). Dictionaries define quack as’a pretender to medical skill; a charlatan’ and’one who talks pretentiously without sound knowledge of the subject discussed.’ These definitions suggest that the promotion of quackery involves deliberate deception, but many promoters sincerely believe in what they are doing.
Health fraud is’the promotion, for profit, of a medical remedy known to be false or unproven.’ This also can cause confusion because in ordinary usage - and in the courts - the word’fraud’ connotes deliberate deception. Quackery’s paramount characteristic is promotion(’Quacks quack!’) rather than fraud, greed, or misinformation
Quacks come in all sizes, shapes and convictions. Todays quacks are mostly very likable and may truly believe that what they are selling does what is claimed. This does not make them any less quacks. Multilevel Marketing has seperated the truly knowledgeable few people at the top, who know what they are claiming is unproven, from the sales people on the bottom of the pyramid. Thus your salesman for a?Product? feels that they can claim anything they have.
Sub-section 2 was inserted in section 15 of the 1956 Indian Medical Council Act only in 1964 so that this sub-section 2 became effective from June 16, 1964.
This sub-section 2 is very clear about not allowing any person to practise modern medicine except those registered in State Medical Register and Section 25 of the Act specifies basic MBBS and post graduate degree after MBBS which are recognized by the Medical Council of India as the only qualifications to be registered in State Medical Register.
Hence, after June 16, 1964, no state government had power to declare any person as registered medical practitioner to practise modern scientific medicine on the basis of Rule 2-ee(iii) of Drug Act 1945, other than persons holding basic M.B.B.S. In other words, rule 2-ee(iii) became inoperative after June 16, 1964. That means, only doctors having basic MBBS degree are Registered Medical Practitioners for the purpose of the Drug Act 1945. In fact the drug authorities were duty bound to order chemists not to issue allopathic medicines to any patients on the prescriptions of any doctors without MBBS degree since June 16, 1964.
The term RMP or Registered Medical Practitioners can not be used by anyone except doctors having basic MBBS degree.
Hence, the term’medical’ refers to only modern scientific medicine. Integrated doctors, Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy practitioners can not use the term’medical’ because they are not Registered Medical Practitioners. They are only Registered Ayurvedic, Unani or Homeopathic Practitioners( R.A.P., R.U.P. or R.H.P.) If they practise modern medicine they can be only known as quacks or unregistered medical practitioners. In fact, Madras High Court directed such quacks to mention the word UNREGISTERD MEDICAL PRACTITIONER( U.M.P.) in front of their clinics but Supreme Court quashed that order
What ís wrong with fraud?
Medical frauds now flood the internet and other media.
It causes numerous injuries and deaths every year; it fosters cultism, fear and distrust; it destroys, deceives and manipulates. Con artists specializing in weight loss fraud target and exploit the most vulnerable among us, often children, teens and low income consumers.
Unfortunately, there ís a great deal of complacency about fraud. Many professionals shrug it off as not their concern. Consumers seldom complain. Regulatory agencies plead budget constraints and more pressing problems. But we can no longer afford to be complacent about the current upsurge in fraud and quackery in the health field.
Top Health frauds & quackery in India are:
1.Weight loss clinics
2.Sexual clinics
3.Hair loss medicines and tonics
4.Muscle making drugs used by Gyms
5.Fake advt on TV Communicating half truth to public
like promotion of -Regualr Usage of antimicrobial soaps, Water purifire equivalent to 20 mints boiling etc