IHRA intensifies drive against quacks
PHOTO: FILE
The Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) has intensified its extensive drive against clinics being run by quacks in the federal capital.
During the raids, several quacks were found running medical clinics while treating patients and even conducting minor surgeries, said an IHRA official.
The IHRA inspection teams immediately sealed those clinics, confiscated expired medicines as well as testing kits and issued strict warnings.
Many such centres were put under surveillance to detect any attempts to restart their illegal practice, since unqualified persons were reportedly running these centres at the time of the raids.
The official said that raids were carried out on almost all types of healthcare establishments (HCEs) including hospitals, laboratories, and clinics.
During a visit to Al Khidmat Medical Clinic, the IHRA team observed that there was no proper mechanism of waste disposal and the HCE was operating in highly unhygienic conditions, while a dispenser was involved in allopathic practice.
A huge amount of used injectables were recovered from the HCE, after which it was sealed.
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The IHRA team also sealed Saleem Dental Care as no doctor with the requisite Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree was available in the HCE, where one Saleem Khan—essentially a dental hygienist—was treating patients with dental problems. Expired medical material was also recovered from the clinic. The authority inspector also sealed the Rashid Hospital as no qualified physician was present at the time of inspection, while the HCE was fully functional.
It was reported that a Lady Health Visitor was performing ultrasounds and running the labour room, while dental technician Zahid Hussain was practicing as a BDS doctor and the HCE was not registered with the IHRA.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2021.