Fake maternity centres sealed in Peshawar, owners arrested

'Administration will not let anyone to play with the lives of the inmates for operating fake maternity centres'

PESHAWAR: The city district administration in Peshawar sealed three fake maternity centres on Monday for lack of professional staff and registration documents while their owners were also rounded up.

On the directives of Peshawar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Saqib Raza Aslam, a team led by Additional Assistant Commissioner (AAC) Bashir Ahmad on public complaints raided various medical stores and maternity centres in the Matni and Badhber areas of Kohat Road, said a handout.

“Three of the maternity centres have been sealed for lacking registration documents and professional staffers,” said Ahmad, adding the administration will not let anyone play with the lives of women by operating fake maternity centres.

The AAC said the owners of the centres were held and will be dealt with “an iron hand” under the law. “Many maternity centres have named lady doctors outside the centres, but they have hired midwives to perform maternity-related procedures,” Ahmad told The Express Tribune. “It is happening because of lack of attention from the Health Regulatory Authority (HRA).”

He went on to say that many diagnostics centres lacked registration documents and sterilisation equipment for instruments, which posed risks of spreading diseases like hepatitis and other viral ailments.

Ahmad suggested that local awareness was much needed so that patients should stop visiting such ill-equipped facilities. “These centres don't even keep records of their own patients."