Gone are the days, when the word `doctor’ would grab the attention of people and catch their awares.One of the important issues that concerns the profession of medicine is the misinterpretation of the word, `doctor'. It has been observed that people from more than 25 different streams of therapy, irrespective of their fields of study are attaching the word,” doctor” to their names. Be it Unani, Homeopathic, veterinary, Ph.d,D-lit, dietitians chemists, Ayurvedic, physiotherapist, magnetotherapist, acupuncture therapist and  practitioners   are sweepingly prefixing the word, `doctor' with their names, which is wrong and utterly illegal. This issue has plagued the profession since long. It simply tantamount to quackery. Who is responsible? This has resulted in the loss of the glamour and the sheen, the medical profession used to enjoy a few decades before.   
Logically, there is a marked difference between the education and treatment modality of such physicians with the genuine allopathic doctors, who are the legal beholders of the insignia, ‘doctor’. Such so called doctors practice in villages, towns and even in metros, fool innocent and illiterate people with their fake identities to mint money. In many such unfortunate conditions, patients place their lives in the hands of wrong physicians and suffer a lot.
I may not be wrong to mention that in India 80% of patients believe in allopathic treatment, whereas the rest 20% go in for alternative therapies. By hearing the word doctor, general people get an impression of an allopathic physician. A layman only considers an allopathic doctor as a real doctor. When physicians from other system of treatment write, doctor, patients are unable to distinguish between them and the genuine doctors and fall into the hands of quacks and incorrect treatment. Even in markets from small pens to big cars, coffees to toffees, sweets to soaps, everything is being sold under their brand name and the buyer can exercise his power of choice. But unfortunately when it comes to treatment in India, this option is lacking. As a result, patients are not able to avail the medical service they desire and are fooled by the innumerable quacks present in the system. Such quacks play havoc with the lives of millions. Surprisingly law experts and social workers are equally silent and ignorant about this game of fraud.
A proper understanding of the word doctor is also important. The word doctor refers to the person, who studied western medical science that is the allopathic system of treatment, only such a person can legally attach, doctor, with his or her name. But people who specialize in other forms of treatment are not entitled to use this word. Such people should use the sign of identification which is mentioned in their system of treatment. for e.g,an ayurvedic physician should write vaidya or a unani physician should write hakeem. Then why are so many vaidyas and Hakeems  arbitrarily using the word’ doctor’ with their names? It is better to present and be yourself than to disguise  with other’s clothes. This is done to achieve public importance and simply to fool patients and make a good living. General public is ignorant about it, the government is silent and the medical world is sleeping. I t is the responsibility of the government to bring such quacks into the open, so that the general public can opt for the medical service, they feel is best suited for them.
Government should make it compulsory to use identification names and symbols laid down by different registration boards. It should be binding on all physicians to use their insignias throughout their life. In this way the misuse of the word’ doctor’ can be checked. I strongly feel that The Indian Medical Association should also spare a thought in this and do the needful.

(Dr. Mushtaq Chalkoo is Consultant Laparoscopic and Minimal Access Surgeon, Government Medical College, SMHS, and Associated Hospitals Srinagar. Feedback at mushtaq_chalkoo@rediffmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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