'Ayush, Naturopathy doctors must register under biometric'

Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader said on Friday that it is must for all Ayurvedic, Naturopathy, Sidda and Unani practitioners, except traditional healers, to get themselves registered under the biometric system.

“Traditional healers need not get themselves registered and can go ahead with their practice, using the knowledge that they have gained from their ancestors,” Khader said at a press conference on Tuesday.

If any fake practitioner is identified for the first time, a fine of Rs 25, 000 would be levied. If identified the second time, the fine would be no less than Rs 2.5 lakh with an imprisonment of up to one year, Khader added.

The minster said that the 40,000 registered Ayush doctors have to be enrolled again and to counter the fake doctors problem in the State, biometric cards will be issued to all registered practitioners. “To make it convenient for doctors the registration procedure has been enabled online and all related information has been put up on the department website,” he added.

He further said that 226 fake doctors have been booked after the Ayurveda and Unani doctors Association raided 2,896, so far. Khader said that additional ambulances would be provided soon. “Funding for 98 new ambulances from the State budget and 100 from the Centre have been given,” he said, adding that they were contemplating having ‘ambulance lanes’ to ensure that traffic jams did not obstruct the movement of ambulances.

He also said that the City would soon have 20 two-wheeler ambulances to help people with minimal wounds reach hospitals faster. These two-wheeler ambulances would have first aid kits and oxygen cylinders. “They will work in co-ordination with 108 ambulances,” he said.