Dr Satish Naik said pre-practice registration at local bodies should be made compulsory for doctors. A stringent anti-quackery law would also go a long way in curbing the menace, he added. As of now, there is no separate law to deal with quackery. Quacks are booked under certain sections of the Indian Penal Code like Section 420. The fine imposed is also negligible, added Dr Naik.

The GPA-GB also demanded that ``All claims of a magical cure should be evaluated by a body of scientists before it is allowed to gopublic.'' This would ensure that quacks don't play around with lives, observed Dr Naik.

Besides, while qualified doctors were banned from advertising, quacks made use of every opportunity to publicise their services. ``All such advertising should be banned,'' the association demanded. The ban should be extended to institutions conferring dubious medical degrees, it further said. With the Delhi government tabling a bill on Wednesday to prohibit quackery, Mumbai should also follow suit, felt association members. They will submit a memorandum to the Health Minister and hold a dharna on October 7.