Healthcare commission forms strategy to deal with quackery

Quackery one of the leading causes of increasing mortality rates in Pakistan, says Dr Tipu Sultan

KARACHI: The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) has chalked out a comprehensive strategy to deal with quackery in the province. A taskforce is to be created under the strategy to deal with fake doctors.

SHCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Minhaj A Qidwai shared details of the strategy on Wednesday at a meeting at Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) House. The meeting was attended by SHCC Chairperson Prof Dr S Tipu Sultan, Monitoring and Evolution Director Dr Suleman Otho, the focal person of the health department, and representatives of Aga Khan Hospital, South City Hospital and other institutions.

The participants pondered over the anti-quackery strategy, ways to promote ethical practices, and development of terms of reference (TOR) for anti-quackery teams in collaboration with the PMA, civil society and representatives of major hospitals.

SHCC is a regulatory body and its major responsibilities include bringing about improvements in the quality of healthcare services and eliminating quackery in all its forms and manifestations, Dr Sultan said, adding that quackery was one of the leading causes of increasing mortality rate in Pakistan.



According to the SHCC chairperson, the exact number of quackery-related deaths in Sindh was not known but thousands of innocent lives were annually lost due to it in Pakistan. He explained that the anti-quackery strategy included the implementation of legislative reforms, establishment of anti-quackery cells and speeding up of the registration and licensing of healthcare establishments, including allopathic, homoeopathic and unani institutes.

The registration of around 3,000 healthcare establishments in Sindh have almost completed, said Dr Qidwai. He added that the commission had so far received eleven complaints some healthcare facilities.

The SHCC CEO urged regularities bodies, including the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. Pakistan Nursing Council, National Council for Tibb, National Council for Homoeopathy, Pharmacy Council of Pakistan (PCP) and others, to coordinate with the SHCC in registration so that quackery could be eradicated.