Sakshi Trust "RTI"

This story was published by Indian Express, Delhi, in August 2004:

Dr. Irshad Khan sits in a small room in New Seemapuri that is his clinic, attending to a stream of coughing and wheezing patients. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS). But he has also opened an information counter to spread awareness about people's rights.

Behind this mission was a fight he waged to make a quack flee the area. ‘‘Still there are dozens of quacks operating here and I will try to keep fighting against them,’’ he says, recalling how it all began when he started getting patients from Mumtaz Clinic in the area.

The doctor running the clinic, Shahbaz Alam, claimed to be a Unani doctor but was dispensing even allopathic medicines, he alleged. Khan was in a dilemma. He was angry that patients were being taken for a ride but didn’t wish to convey an impression that there was any jealousy involved. ‘‘So, I filed all the complaints in my brother Naushad Ahmed’s name,’’ he said.

He went to the police but was rebuffed. He then sent a letter to the Directorate of Health Services on August 8 last year. Over the next three months, he said, the officials gave one excuse after another for not taking action.

This January his neighbour, Rajiv Sharma, a member of Parivartan, introduced him to RTI. Khan filed an application under RTI on February 3 this year and received a letter from the Directorate in March, well after the prescribed 30-day period.

They had found that Dr. Alam held a Diploma in Unani Medicine and was registered with the Bharatiya Chikitsa Parishad, UP, but not in Delhi. A medical practitioner can practise in Delhi only after registering with medical bodies like Delhi Medical Council for allopathic doctors and Bharatiya Chikitsa Parishad for Unani and Ayurvedic. ‘‘The fact that he was not registered means he is a quack,’’ said Dr. Anil Bansal, former president of Delhi Medical Association. ‘‘Besides nobody can start practising after just a diploma.’’

Perhaps, warned by the inquiry, the quack packed his bags and left just a week after Dr. Khan received the letter.