Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. PHOTO: INP
Under the directions of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the crackdown led to arrests of at least 18 people including four fake lady health visitors (LHVs). Locations sealed included 18 illicit private clinics, hospitals, maternity homes and one medical store.
Earlier, the minister directed the administration to carry out operations against those playing with the health of the public in the name of providing medical treatment.
Nisar said strict action should be taken against those illegally manufacturing medicines and medical stores selling prohibited drugs in Islamabad.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Additional Deputy Commissioner General Abdul Sattar Isani said the raids were carried out in the city’s outskirts including Bhara Kahu, Ghauri Town and Tarnol among others.
“The raids were carried out against illicit private clinics and fake doctors after receiving several complaints,” he said.
He further said the raids revealed many unqualified paramedical staff at illicit private clinics who were administering injections to patients.
The fake LHVs were visiting homes and fooling people for their own interests, Isani explained, adding that the crackdown will continue till all culprits are punished.
An ICT health department official said in the past few years many illegal private clinics, hospitals, maternity homes and labs had mushroomed in the city’s suburbs.
The continuous rise in cases of hepatitis B and C in the suburbs have been a result of these illicit facilities, he shared.
“Poor people prefer to visit private clinics or hospitals in their areas where they are injected with reused syringes and contaminated blood, which cause various communicable infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, C, and HIV,” he said.
Meanwhile, there are some maternity homes where pregnant women are being treated like animals by fake gynaecologists, and suffer complications after being operated on by non-sterilised surgical equipment, he explained further.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2015.
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