Unqualified persons cannot practice alternate medicine, says Madras HC

Madras high court has directed authorities to take action against the unqualified practitioners of alternative medicines and those running unrecognised institutes to offer alternative medicine courses. They pose a grave danger to society, said the court.

While refusing to give any relief to 61 persons claiming to be practising alternative medicine after doing a six-month course with an all-India institute, Madras high court directed to crack down on unrecognised institutes offering alternative medicine courses and also said to initiate action against both the institutes and practitioners as they post a grave danger to the society.

"The treatments, if any, given by the petitioners cannot be trusted upon and unqualified persons like the petitioners cannot be permitted to treat the patients which would be disastrous and thus, the petition is to be rejected," said Justice SM Subramaniam, as reported by TOI.

"No doubt alternate medicine is available across the country but practising medicines should be done only by qualified medical practitioners. Unqualified persons cannot claim any right to practice alternate medicines," he added.

The high court also directed the DGP to issue circulars to all District Superintendents of Police and Commissioner of Police and to competent authorities to collect information on unregistered and unrecognised medical practitioners, conduct a periodical inspection and start appropriate legal actions against those found practising without proper qualifications.

The background 

These 61 unqualified alternative medicine practitioners had approached the court seeking to forebear the TN police for interfering in their right to practice and prescribe an alternative medicine. 

"The writ petitioners herein are neither holding any valid medical decree nor their names are enrolled as medical practitioners in the Tamil Nadu Medical Council. Thus, they are not entitled to practice alternate medicine or any other practice in the medical field. Thus, the petitioners have not established any acceptable ground for the purpose of considering the relief," said the court.

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