They trusted the quack and his medicines
THRIVING BUSINESS Residents say the popular ‘doctor’ used to examine more than 100 patients every day
› Rajendra Yadav was popular as ‘Rs 10 doctor’. He used to provide treatment at medicine for Rs 10. Aged around 40, he used to be welldressed and came to the clinic on a motorcycle and most of his patients include labourers and vendors SATYAPAL, a barber
BANGARMAU(UNNAO): The clinic in a dingy room on Station Road in Bangarmau is locked for the last 20 days.
According to residents of Bangarmau, more than a hundred patients are returning disappointed everyday as their ‘doctor’ Rajendra Yadav is missing.
“Yadav was popular as ‘Rs 10 doctor’. He used to provide treatment at medicine for Rs 10. Aged around 40, he used to be well-dressed and came to the clinic on a motorcycle,” said Satyapal, who runs a barber shop near the clinic.
“Most of his patients include labourers and vendors. They trust him as his medicines work for them. No wonder he examined more than a hundred patients every day,” he added.
“Yadav used to open his clinic at around 2 pm but before that a lot of patients used to wait for him. However, no one knew his address or contact number,” he said.
Ankur, another resident, said Yadav was well-behaved and a respected figure among the locals. “He was the one who was always available for patients,” he said.
Local corporator Sunil Kumar claimed that the activities of Yadav were known to the chief medical officer (CMO) and doctors at the community health centre (CHC) as a number of HIV positive cases were detected in the area last year.
“CHC in-charge Dr Pramod Kumar Dohre knew everything but he did not act against him. Last year too, Rajendra Yadav had gone underground for some time but later returned and started practice again,” he alleged.
Kumar said there were more than 50 quacks operating in Bangarmau and nearby areas.
Refuting the corporator’s allegations, Dr Dohre said, “We lodged an FIR against the quack as soon as we came to know that patients were tested HIV positive in Bangarmau. The police are trying to nab Yadav. We are identifying other quacks operating in Bangarmau.”
At least 38 people in Bangarmau town in Unnao tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in January after a quack allegedly used a single syringe to treat all his patients leading to the spread of the virus, Unnao chief medical officer SP Chowdhary has said.
Twenty-five others were found to be infected with HIV last year in this largely rural area.