‘Over 90,000 quacks playing with human lives in province’

Minister says awareness drive launched

LAHORE:

Punjab Caretaker Health Minister Dr Javed Akram has said around 90,000 quacks were playing with human lives in the province, adding the government has launched an awareness drive against the quacks.

The minister expressed these views while speaking at a conference Doctorscon 2023 under the auspices of Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians at a local hotel on Saturday.

The minister congratulated and appreciated the Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians for organizing the very best Doctorscon 2023.

He said general practitioners and family physicians played a vital role in improving the healthcare system of any country.

"For me, it is not ministry, but serving people and living in my community is more important," he added. “Until today, the cardiology hospitals were treating in the style of 1980s,” he said.

The minister highlighted that the primary angioplasty facility in Punjab was earlier available only to the elite, but now Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi had provided round the clock facility of primary angioplasty to all patients in all cardiology hospitals.

“Alhamdulillah, more than 600 patients had undergone primary angioplasty in cardiology hospitals during a week,” he added.

“We are providing primary angioplasty facility to patients in Lahore's Jinnah Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology," the minister said. He said that mission was being waged against quacks in the province.

He said that all government hospitals in Punjab have been directed to submit their work plan. "Unless one changes his attitude as a human being, society cannot improve,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2023.