Above 3,000 RMPs work in Adilabad

The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Utnoor officials have identified more than 3,000 Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) working in 13 out of total 52 mandals and their number will be much more in the entire Adilabad district of Telangana.  

Officials are arresting RMPs on the charges of giving wrong diagnosis to the patients especially tribals and damaging their health and sometimes resulting in their death.

RMPs were asked to submit the samples of malaria tests and diagnosis reports to the medical department on regular basis so that medical experts assess the diagnosis given by the RMPs.

Agency medical officials say that untrained RMPs are creating panic among the people of the tribal areas especially Adivasis with wrong diagnosis of malaria falcifparum and dengu cases and referring them to the corporate hospitals in Karimnagar, Warangal and Hyderabad with whom they had connection and get  heavy commissions.       

It is found that 200 to 300 RMPs are rendering their services in the rural areas in district. ITDA officials recently seized RMP clinic in the Utnoor for wrong diagnosis and causing death of a tribal.The RMPs have been collecting huge fees from gullible tribal people for treating the patients.

However there were incidents where RMPs saved the lives of the people in interior areas in the absence of trained doctors. RMPs and also some fake doctors running clinics in the tribal areas.

Medical, revenue and police departments recently conducted a meeting with RMPs at Utnoor and warned them not o give faulty diagnosis like giving high dose medicines and antipyretics for immediate relief to the patients as it can cause health problems.

A tribal patient of Jendaguda in Jainoor died of faulty diagnosis by the local RMP.  Most local RMPs refer the patient to the government hospital when the latter’s condition become serious.

Another tribal patient of Pitlanaik Thanda of Sirpur (U) died while undergoing treatment at RIMS who was admitted there with serious health complications due to faulty diagnosis at a clinic run by a fake doctor in Utnoor mandal headquarters.

Collector M. Jagan Mohan wrote letters to 17 clusters of Compulsory Nutritional and Health (CPH) to keep a watch on local RMPs and their faulty diagnosis.

District Malaria officer Alham Ravi said they have identified more than 3,000 RMPs in eight high risk mandals in Utnoor division and in Kadam, Sirpur(T), Jannaram, Kasipet and Kagaznagar mandals in the district.

It is learnt that state government is planning to impart training to RMPs, PMPs (Private Medical Practitioners) with regard to primary medical treatment to improve their standards and can use their services in emergency.