Moreh, September 23: Considered as one of the commercial centres of Manipur, Moreh today is not only attracting individuals carrying high hope of becoming successful businessmen but is fast turning into a thriving place for fake doctors.

The border town with all the ingredients of being called a Mini India due to its multi-community composition is passing through an important phase of becoming the commercial hub of not only Manipur but for the North eastern region and is drawing crowd from all corners of the country.

Along with the business viability is the constant movement of people of all hues which is being utilised by the fake doctors to earn some easy money.

The prime factor for successful operation of these doctors is mobility of the people visiting the border town and low literacy rate of the local population as well as those from across the border where health facility is non-existent.

Being illiterate these people can hardly distinguish a fake doctor from a genuine one and by the time they do get an idea that the person checking and prescribing medicines does not possess medical certificates many are denied a chance to recuperate as past records illustrate.

By the time the gullible people are squeezed of their hard earned money and turns toward Moreh Community Health Centre Government approved medical personnel manning the health centre literally run out of ideas in treating the mistreated patients.

Lack of sufficient number of doctors at the Community Health Centre (CHC) is another reason for existence of fake doctors as compared to Government prescription for presence of eight doctors and 20 nurses the CHC at present has only three doctors and a nurse to cater to medical attention of the nearly 23,000 population of the town.

Moreover, one of the three doctor stuck with administrative works could hardly attend to requirements of patient while the remaining two having to cope with patients� rush is out of the question due to geographical location and atmosphere of Moreh highly susceptible to outbreak of seasonal diseases some-time to an epidemic proportion.

According to Medical Officer of Moreh CHC Dr Priyokumar local residents who are educated normally prefers the CHC which is not the same in case of not-so literate ones as ready availability of fake doctors unlike doctors in the CHC who have to go through a number of patients in a day.

Dr Priyokumar also recounted cases of patients failing to response to proper treatment after wrong medication from the fake doctors.

On the other hand, Dr Manthang of the same CHC emphasised on extensive awareness campaign on presence of fake doctors in Moreh and need to keep safe distance from such dubious characters.

Presence of large number of fake doctors had even led to common people doubting credibility of genuine and experienced doctors, regretted Dr Manthang.

Both desired that officials concerned and security force take appropriate action to check presence and medical practices of the fake doctors for a healthy Moreh.

Another issue posing as hurdling block to Moreh community is insufficient medicines at Government institutions but availability of medicines meant for supply to CHC/PHC at the drug store both in the border town and on Myanmar side.

Clueless from where the medical stores might have procured such medicines Dr Priyokumar and Dr Manthang observed that a thorough investigation need to be ordered in order to check misconduct.

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