Not to glorify them, but a handful of quacks in Bihar’s countryside are helping out the villagers
Last week World Health Organization reported a 13 per cent decrease in new Covid-19 cases in India. However, the number of new infections in the country remains the highest in the world. Rural areas with no proper health infrastructure are bearing the brunt, forcing the villagers to turn to quacks for treatment. Lack of information about government hospitals, PHCs, medicine and vaccinations has affected regulation of the virus in rural areas. Worse, there are hardly a few or no doctors in government hospitals. Thus, quacks have ironically assumed a larger role in several villages across States. The situation in Bihar's Muzaffarpur districtis no better. It had the highest number of reported cases in the country. Nearly 208 Covid-19 deaths were reported in 50 days since April 1. Around 315 people were cremated at one crematorium alone in this period. The rural areas of Sikanderpur, Mothijheel, Town Thana, Khabda, Ramdayalu, Patahi, Bhagwanpur,Bhikhanpura and Mushahariblocks were most affected. Ragini, a resident of Alkapuri colony in Muzaffarpur, said: "Those who test positive are isolated in rooms. However, because the virus is highly stigmatized, the infected person is not treated well by the public." Ankush Singh, resident of Manika village in Mushahariblock, said that even after he recovered from the virus, no one was concerned about his well-being. He also complained about unprofessional behaviourand indifference of the block hospital doctor. Chemists and quacks showed better concern than the doctors, he said in a bitter voice.
In the Paru block, dispensary employees and quacks were treating people. Accepting that quacks were the first line of defence against Covid-19, District Councilor Devesh Chandra said they were a lifeline for more than 50,000 people in the block. These quacks have no medical degrees, but practice medicine based on their practical experience. Quacks Balram Shah, Umesh Prasad, Ganesh Pandit, Asharfi Bhagat, Parmeshwar Prasad, and others in Paru Block had decided to come forward and assist the villagers. “Whatever medical experience we have gained over the years, the villagers are benefiting from it. The situation was such that people were scared and unwilling to get vaccinated and, therefore, we decided not to leave them under such circumstances. We are likely to get infected in the process, but helping people is the need of the hour,” said thesequacks. The Block Medical Officer, on the other hand, stated that trained healthcare workers are going to villages for inspection, vaccination, and medicine on a regular basis. The situation in Bihar's Vaishali district is similar. Basant Kumar, a homoeopathic practitioner said: "I went to the block health centre to getthe rapid antigen test done. The centre was crowded with no guidelines being followed. Although I had registered myself, due to the huge crowd I had to return without getting tested. Two days later, I received a message on my mobile number informing that I had testednegative. I was shocked to receive that message." Others got such reports too and people are hesitant to visit government hospitals and are relying on quacks. The purpose of this article is not to glorify quacks, but it is equally important to note that if properly trained in pandemic protocols, these quacks can play a critical role in reaching out to villagers. They already share a relationship with them and can create awareness about preventive measures and vaccination in these hard-to-reach areas. The West Bengal government has already ordered training and taggingquacks with health workers to help survey rural areas and identify patients so that the treatment can start early. If successful, other states should also follow suit.
(The author represents Charkha — The Development Communication Network. The views expressed are personal)