If we want to know the reason of the acceptance of quacks more than qualified doctors in rural areas. We would have to know ‘what ‘rural area’ is. So in short-
- The area in which the residents are poor or less educated.
- Have very few resource, have less exposure to the economic world etc.
Now coming back to the topic, let’s see what happens if the people of these rural areas get sick. Acceptance is due to-
- Lack of Money
We can say that this is the most important reason behind the acceptance. As they do not make huge sum, they have money problem. If any family members get medicated then the daily diet of the whole family gets affected. So, they always try to save money from wherever possible. And in this way to save money they go to quacks not to a qualified doctor. The meaning of a qualified doctor to them is a person who just write name of medicine on the paper and charge a huge amount of money.
2. Lack of knowledge
The very first reason is the lack of knowledge. The people of rural area are not aware of the disease. First of all, they go to Occultist (Tantarik). Even if the illness continues, then they will take the patient to some sacred place. And when the condition worsens, then they take the patient to any quacks still not to a doctor. And when it comes to life threatening situation then they take the patient to a qualified doctor.
For example, if we look at the patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis, quacks prescribe them steroids such as Prednisone, dexamethasone, etc which provides very quick relief but are very harmful and toxic for the body, they also have too much side effects when used for long term but due to its quick action. Whereas, a qualified doctor prescribes less harmful medicine or medicine with least side effects like DMARDs which are safe but low acting thus the patients think that medicine prescribed by quacks are more effective and they treat patients much faster than actual doctors.
3. Ignorance
Due to lack of the knowledge and education an obvious thing happens i.e. ignorance. They just let it go on the belief that it happened because of weather or the food. Everything will be fine in just few days on its own. And this too sometimes happens because of our immunity but not all the time. In this way they just ignore the illness until it get worst. Meanwhile they take some general medicine from medical shop without any doctor’s prescription. If they see patient is facing lot of problem.
4. Lack of resources
This the other major reason for the acceptance of quacks. Let’s imagine a situation; a person gets sick at late night in a village. He has no nearby hospital and no transport facility. In this situation ‘what will his family do?’ Isn’t it very obvious, they will go to someone near to his place. And here they go to the quacks. Even in these scenario, the quacks charge a lot but they have to pay that too.
5. Lack of doctors
Due to limited seats in Medical colleges all over India, there is an overall shortage of medical practitioners in India, which can be seen significantly in rural areas. This point may not be liked by government bodies, but it is also a reason for acceptance of quacks in rural areas.
I have seen by my own people who are running medical shop claiming themselves as doctor and they treat people too. Even I remember a funny but very sad incident the ration shop keeper also sell medicine in his shop in the rural areas. And you will be surprised to know the way they sell medicine. They just simply remember the colour of the different medicine and have fix colour for respective problems. Like for headache – white tablet, loose motion – yellow tablet etc. If we go to small market near rural area. There we can see new type of scene. In that place you will come to know that a person who used to work as assistant with a renowned doctor at a time. Now has opened his own clinic. That too without any medical degree. The reason for his popularity is his low fee and his identity of being local.
-Devendra Kumar (BDS, PGDCH)
Editor – Ahmad Raza Chishti ( MBBS, MMCH )
so true💯