Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association gets 30 complaints over non-MBBS duty doctors in Telangana | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) has received at least 30 complaints alleging that private hospitals and nursing homes in Telangana have appointed non-MBBS-qualified persons as duty medical officers (DMOs), amid the ongoing controversy over fake doctors in the state.The complaints primarily concern nursing homes and multispecialty hospitals that allegedly employ paramedical staff and AYUSH practitioners to handle allopathic cases in casualty and emergency departments, as they can be hired at lower salaries.The HRDA has urged the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) to direct private hospitals, nursing homes, emergency centres and diagnostic facilities to appoint only qualified and registered MBBS doctors as DMOs and casualty medical officers.“Allopathic treatment should be provided only by doctors with an MBBS qualification. Ayurveda, homeopathy, and unani practitioners should work only within their respective systems,” said Dr Karthik Nagula, HRDA president.He said DMOs are often the first doctors to examine emergency patients. “Ultimately, patient care is affected because they may not know the basic principles of diagnosis and treatment,” he said, describing the practice as “mixopathy”. However, he clarified that the association was not opposed to any branch of medicine.The issue comes days after Hyderabad police arrested 12 people in Aug for allegedly posing as doctors and treating patients without proper qualifications in Secunderabad and Jubilee Hills. Fake certificates, medicines, injections and medical equipment were reportedly seized.Dr G Srinivas, a TGMC member, said, “There are about 55,000 to 60,000 fake doctors or quacks in Telangana. Corporate hospitals are also recruiting Pharm D, BAMS and BHMS graduates as duty doctors, but only qualified MBBS doctors should be appointed.”He called for police action and the formation of a joint committee comprising representatives from the TGMC, HRDA and police. Dr Nagula said appointing MBBS doctors would improve patient care and create employment opportunities.A senior district medical and health officer (DM&HO) said the department generally intervenes only in serious cases such as illegal abortions and medical negligence. “We are not the regulatory authority for quackery,” the official said, adding that the govt was considering issuing medical certificates to regularise quacks. The official claimed that every district had between 3,000 and 4,000 such practitioners.