Gopalpur: Even as both central and the state governments are spending crores of rupees to improvise healthcare facilities, illegal clinics mushrooming in rural areas of Ganjam district have posed a serious threat, a report said.
According to sources, in a situation where government health centres and hospitals run with few doctors and vacancies still exist, poor rural people in the district are compelled to resort to fake doctors and quacks.
As a result, illiterate masses are often exploited and face untimely death by these fake doctors. It is known that fake doctors are active in Kanisi area of Rangeilunda block and earn handsomely from whosoever conduct pathological tests, administer drugs and carry out abortions.
Miscreants cater to healthcare needs of local people by opening clinics in rural areas and impersonating themselves as doctors, for past several years. It is alleged that they also supply spurious and adulterated medicines to critical patients, most of the times.
On being contacted, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Bijaya Kumar Panigrahi said, “A team has been constituted under the chairmanship of district Collector which will conduct raids on illegal clinics and verify their certificates and other documents.”
Notably, illegal healthcare clinics have mushroomed in Karapalli, Golanthara, Haladiapadar, Tullu, Bakshipalli and many other rural pockets of Ganjam district. Local intelligentsia has opined that occurrence of mishaps in the district cannot be ruled out if such situations persisted in the future days.
