PHC closed down 6,000 quack clinics since July 2015

Ajmal says the commission has cancelled the licences of fake practitioners

LAHORE: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has closed down more than 6,000 fake treatment centres, medical hospitals, homeopathic clinics and hakeems over maligning the noble profession of medicine since July 2015.

PHC COO Muhammad Ajmal, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that these included diagnostic labs, herbal clinics and homeopathy establishments involved in medical malpractice across the province.

Ajmal said the PHC had been taking concerted action against quackery. He said the response to this had been phenomenal, especially from homeopathic doctors.

“For the first time they have been accorded recognition due to the efforts of the commission,” Ajmal added.

He said the commission had received scores of complaints regarding the involvement of homeopaths and hakeems in medical malpractice.

He said they had been taking the people for a ride by prescribing medicines and injections. PHC had zero tolerance for quackery, he added.

Whenever the PHC had received complaints regarding quacks, it had cracked down on them, he said. He added that the commission had cancelled the licences of these practitioners involved in medical malpractice.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the commission had initiated further proceedings against these quacks.

Two teams of the PHC visited 129 treatment centres and found 61 clinics being run by qualified medics which were registered and licensed by the commission.

The rest 68 were indulging in illegal medical practices and their premises were sealed. 20 in Khanewal, 18 in Mian Channu, 17 in Kabirwala and 13 in Jehanian businesses were sealed. Out of these, 26 were general practitioners, 18 were medical stores, seven were hakeems, six each were homeopathic doctors and laboratories, four were dentists and one was a bone-setter.

Their illegalities were running of clinics by dispensers and unqualified staff, treatment at medical stores, treating patients with allopathic medicines by homeopathic doctors and hakeems, dentistry without qualified doctors, laboratories without pathologists and other qualified staff.

The spokesperson of the PHC when contacted said the commission was continuously making efforts for raising standards of the healthcare service delivery across the province and the quacks would not be allowed to play with the lives of the masses.

"The PHC will eliminate quackery in its all forms and manifestations. Since July 2015, the PHC has taken action against 6,000 quacks and imposed a fine worth Rs43 million," he added.

Health Department Spokesperson said the government had resolved to eradicate quackery to maximise the efficiency of the healthcare system across the province.

He said the crackdown had left quacks perturbed as they knew they would be apprehended soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2017.