Odisha Govt Forms District-Level Anti-Quackery Cell To Keep Tab On Fake Doctors

Bhubaneswar: In a significant step, the Odisha government has constituted a district-level anti-quackery cell to keep a tab on fake doctors operating in the state.

The cell was formed following the direction of the Orissa High Court as part of a measure to identify fake doctors.

As per the decision taken in a recent meeting chaired by Chief Secretary P K Jena, every district in the state will have a five-member anti-quackery cell.

Sources said that representatives of collector, SP and Indian Medical Association (IMA), nominee of the district legal services authority and CDMO will be the members of the cell.

The district anti-quackery cell will sit as and when required, on receipt of any complaint/information regarding fake doctors from any source, including electronic and print media, social media or caller etc and dispose of the matter.

The cell will send quarterly reports of such cases and action taken thereon to the Health and Family Welfare department.

Notably, the High Court had in February directed the commissioner-cum-secretary of the Health department to come with a comprehensive plan to introduce a surveillance mechanism to identify fake doctors in the state.