A Congress MLA wrote to Rajasthan Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma, urging him to avail services of quacks to treat COVID patients in rural areas.
In a letter dated May 13, Sangod legislator Bharat Singh Kundanpur said as doctors can't reach each of the around 40,000 villages in the state and resources are inadequate to meet the challenge, services of quacks should be utilised as people have faith in them.
"While a large number of people have died from the infection in medical colleges, there is hardly only one or two people who could have died under the supervision of quacks," he said.
He said though the government has taken steps time to time against quacks but "jugad" has its own significance in the country.
The medical services given by quacks are available round the clock throughout the year, he stressed, adding that their affinity with people inspires trust in them.
He further said quacks in villages also stay in touch with doctors in cities and help patients reach them in the hours of need.
In the current times of joblessness, quacks are an "example" of the "skill development" programme of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre as quacks give employment to others, the MLA said.
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