In rural areas, patients and their relatives go to such quacks with little knowledge of orthopaedics because they find it is less expensive, orthopaedic specialists say.

Taking advantage of this, these quacks deceive the patients in the name of treatment that in many cases leads to amputation of their limbs.

A section of staff at government hospitals and private clinics also misguide orthopaedic patients advising them to go for bone injury treatment by quacks at the minimum cost. Many such signboards boasting guarantee of cure for bone injuries are found near hospitals and clinics even in the capital.

Billal Hossain, a seven-year-old boy, lost his left hand due to wrong treatment by a quack in Lalmonirhat district. A student of class one, the boy received minor bone injuries to his left hand when a bicycle hit him. His guardians took him to a village 'doctor' who bandaged his hand using some medicinal plants. And this led to gangrene in his hand.

His condition deteriorated and his parents at last brought him to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). He was treated at the hospital for three months with no improvement and finally his hand was amputated.

Three-year-old Lamia Akhter from Brahmanbaria suffered a fracture in her right leg while playing. Her parents took her to a clinic in Sarail thana. Ignoring doctors' advice, some staff at the clinic suggested them to go to a local 'doctor' and they did it.

The child's parents at last brought her to the DMCH where she underwent surgery. Doctors are still not much optimistic about her full recovery.

"People, both in the rural and urban areas, mainly depend on unscientific and traditional bone injury treatment mainly because it is less costly and they lack knowledge of proper treatment," said Dr M Amjad Hossain, head of orthopaedic and trauma surgery department at the DMCH.

Many orthopaedic patients come to the DMCH every day from different parts of the country after having wrong treatment, he mentioned.

In reply to a question, Dr Amjad said, sometimes people might benefit from traditional treatment of bone injuries. As the 'traditional' healers lack knowledge of blood circulation, they bandage the limbs so tightly that it stops blood circulation, leading to gangrene in the organs, he said.

Most of the crippled street beggars in the city might have been the victims of wrong treatment by traditional healers of bone injuries, he thought.

Dr Hossain, who conducted a study on orthopaedic patients, however suggested providing proper training to such traditional healers. It is not difficult to arrange such training, he added.