Vitamin therapy clinics proliferate

Despite no scientific basis or regulation, illegal practitioners mint money off patients under the guise of weight los

LAHORE/KARACHI:

Fair. Shiny. Youthful. Slim. While the following four adjectives listed on a cosmetic product are enough to convince a middle-class shopper to purchase a cream or supplement in the hopes of satisfying society's standards of desirability, they are insufficient to appeal to the finicky tastes of elite consumers, who are always in search of something extraordinary. Hence, elitist profiteers have come up with a new way to extract money from the branded wallets of the bourgeoisie by introducing IV vitamin therapies, which despite their unscientific and tortuous procedures have become the talk of the town in upscale areas across major metropolitan hubs in the country.

Despite the health authorities issuing no regulation on the safety of IV therapies, a large number of clinics located across affluent neighbourhoods in Karachi and Lahore have started offering intravenous vitamin infusion treatments to cater to clients looking to grow luxuriant hair, achieve flawless skin, loose extra pounds or even stop the ageing process albeit with little or no scientific backing. Tactfully promoting their infusion elixirs through online pages featuring popular celebrities, such clinics capitalize on people's body insecurity by offering cosmetic therapies, which are marketed as being safe and even beneficial for human health since they involve the use of vitamins.

One such client was Muhammad Ejaz, a 50-year-old morbidly obese local from Lahore, who in his sheer urgency to lose weight was lured in by the marketing tactics of a popular vitamin therapy clinic through social media. "I was told that the vitamin infusions would help me lose the excess weight. The treatment was imported from England or the UAE and cost me Rs50,000 after discount," said Ejaz.

Similarly, Hira, a beautician from Karachi, acknowledged that vitamin therapy treatments had become a lucrative business in the city's upscale areas, where women in particular were the primary consumers of these treatments. "Contrary to men, women usually turn to these treatments to enhance their skin's appearance," shared Hira.

"There has been a dangerous rise in the trend of wanting to appear youthful particularly among elite women. Clinics psychologically persuade customers to undergo therapy to look attractive and feel energetic, a concept which is referred to as psychocosmetics therapy. Only specialists can address such issues therefore commercial activities of playing with human health should be curbed," urged Professor Dr Iqbal Afridi, Dean of the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan.

According to Dr Aftab Hussain, a medical expert, intravenous (IV) vitamin therapies were a 'blind treatment' since no reliable research was currently available in Pakistan. "Our medical curricula provide basic education on vitamins and minerals while advanced testing facilities for deficiencies are also insufficient. Despite their claims, no vitamin infusion can keep a person permanently young or stop the aging process. Hence, all claims of increasing extra energy in the human body are false and have no basis in medical science. Similarly, administering vitamin drips for glowing skin is also highly dangerous since excessive use of vitamins can lead to organ damage," warned Dr Hussain.

Expanding on the same, Farah Syed, a dietitian from the Aga Khan University Hospital confirmed that the supplemental use of vitamins unnecessarily could be dangerous. "Vitamins are naturally present in fruits and vegetables hence a good diet is usually enough. A deficiency of any vitamin in the body is confirmed through medical tests and only then does a physician recommend the use of vitamins," revealed Farah.

On the other hand, a receptionist working at a vitamin clinic at the MM Alam Road in Lahore, assured that her Dubai-based employer identified the need for vitamins in patients through a mineral tissue test. "If one ounce of mineral is applied through a drip, the cost will be Rs6000 as per an estimate. These IV nutrients are only used for supplemental purposes and not for the treatment of any medical condition. People are happy with the results which include glowing and youthful skin," she maintained.

Similarly, the secretary at a vitamin clinic located in Karachi's Defence area revealed that the clinic's owner was based in Islamabad and would see patients through video calls, which alone cost Rs3500 per session. "There are multiple sessions for vitamin therapy, with different packages available. Additionally, there are various treatments aimed at maintaining energy and enhancing appearance," she explained.

"These claims of beautification are all a scam. Action has been taken many times by DRAP, but the business owners cleverly relocate their clinic and give a new name to their business," said an official from the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department of Punjab.

"Various clinics in affluent areas are adding different vitamins, calcium, and other multi-minerals to IV drips and selling them with their own labels, a practice known as misbranding. This process is against the regulations of the Pakistan Drug Regulatory Authority (PDRA) and is illegal," said Dr. Ahsan Qawi Siddiqui, CEO of the Sindh Healthcare Commission. Siddiqui stated that the provincial authority planned to take action against these businesses.