Sindh govt told to form special teams for action against quacks
Teams will raid clinics of quacks and register FIRs, reads order
A recent report that highlighted the dangerous yet flourishing business of quacks in the federal capital, has failed to muster any prompt response from the district health department. DESIGN: FAIZAN DAWOOD
HYDERABAD:
Dismayed over the Sindh health department’s apparent aversion to taking decisive action against quacks, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the government to form special teams for the purpose. “They [the teams] shall raid the clinics [of quacks] and lodge FIRs,” reads the order given by the Hyderabad circuit bench of justices Salahuddin Panhwar and Muhammad Iqbal Mehar.
The teams will be assisted by the police and the district administrations in their raids and registration of the FIRs. According to the health department’s report submitted in the court on October 19, 5,856 quacks are practising in the province. The number of these fake doctors in Sindh was shown at 3,947 in another previous report, which the authorities submitted before the SHC on September 20.
During the hearing, the authorities drew the court’s ire when they failed to submit the monthly report of quacks operating in all the districts of Sindh and action taken by the authorities. The SHC ordered the health secretary to direct the district-based special teams to submit these reports every month from now on.
The petitioner, Advocate Ghulam Murtaza Laghari, a resident of Badin district, argued that not only the authorities have failed to seal all the clinics of quacks, the pharmacies also continue to sell medicines without prescription. Taking up the plea, the court directed the department to take measures to prevent the pharmacies from this practice.
“... no medical store [shall] provide/sell medicines except on proper prescription ... no antibiotic shall be given with[out the] prescription of a medical officer.” The hearing was adjourned will December 21.
Delay in hospital construction
In a separate petition, the chairperson of the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment was directed to conduct a ‘thorough probe’ into the construction project of Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas. The inquiry should ascertain reasons for delay in completion of the project and detect malfeasance if any.
“For years, project of Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas [has been] under construction,” the bench observed. “It appears [that there is] some malfeasance.”
Upon the court’s inquiry, Sindh health director-general Hassan Murad Shah admitted that the district health officer of Mirpurkhas and the civil surgeon of the civil hospital are posted on the own-pay scale basis. The court gave three days to the health secretary to remove both the officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2016.
Dismayed over the Sindh health department’s apparent aversion to taking decisive action against quacks, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the government to form special teams for the purpose. “They [the teams] shall raid the clinics [of quacks] and lodge FIRs,” reads the order given by the Hyderabad circuit bench of justices Salahuddin Panhwar and Muhammad Iqbal Mehar.
The teams will be assisted by the police and the district administrations in their raids and registration of the FIRs. According to the health department’s report submitted in the court on October 19, 5,856 quacks are practising in the province. The number of these fake doctors in Sindh was shown at 3,947 in another previous report, which the authorities submitted before the SHC on September 20.
During the hearing, the authorities drew the court’s ire when they failed to submit the monthly report of quacks operating in all the districts of Sindh and action taken by the authorities. The SHC ordered the health secretary to direct the district-based special teams to submit these reports every month from now on.
The petitioner, Advocate Ghulam Murtaza Laghari, a resident of Badin district, argued that not only the authorities have failed to seal all the clinics of quacks, the pharmacies also continue to sell medicines without prescription. Taking up the plea, the court directed the department to take measures to prevent the pharmacies from this practice.
“... no medical store [shall] provide/sell medicines except on proper prescription ... no antibiotic shall be given with[out the] prescription of a medical officer.” The hearing was adjourned will December 21.
Delay in hospital construction
In a separate petition, the chairperson of the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment was directed to conduct a ‘thorough probe’ into the construction project of Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas. The inquiry should ascertain reasons for delay in completion of the project and detect malfeasance if any.
“For years, project of Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas [has been] under construction,” the bench observed. “It appears [that there is] some malfeasance.”
Upon the court’s inquiry, Sindh health director-general Hassan Murad Shah admitted that the district health officer of Mirpurkhas and the civil surgeon of the civil hospital are posted on the own-pay scale basis. The court gave three days to the health secretary to remove both the officials.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2016.