Quacks in N Dinajpur warned against conducting any abortions

In order to boost institutional delivery in the district, the health officials organised an awareness and interactive programme with quacks in the meeting hall of Zilla Parishad at Karnajora on Wednesday. However, the quacks have been strictly warned against conducting any abortions. In case labour patients seek their assistance, they have been directed to bring them to the nearest health centre.

Puran Sharma, Chief Medical Officer of Health of North Dinajpur, said: “The quacks or informal health care providers provide service among patients in rural belts. They can take an active role to promote institutional delivery in the district. We have a report that some of them were preventing labour patients from visiting health centres. We have warned them against this. They have been told not to encourage illegal abortions. When any labour patient seeks their assistance for home delivery, they should bring them to the nearest health centre. Strict legal action will be taken in case of violation.” It is reported that there are around 4,000 quacks in all nine blocks of the district. Most of them have no proper license for medical practice. The rate of institutional delivery is over 95 per cent in district.