Time to come clean: As govt launches investigation, Keamari’s quack foresees trouble

KARACHI:

On the complaint of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), the anti-quackery cell (AQC) of the provincial government decided on Monday to look into the medical certificates of Dr Shabana Soomro, who runs Sania Clinic and Maternity Home in Keamari.

“I was informed on Monday that Dr Soomro is a quack. I have asked her to submit all the certificates for verification and, if anything illegal is found, stern action will be taken,” said Keamari’s AQC in-charge Dr Muzaffar Jakhrani.



Dr Jakhrani said that they would conduct a raid along with the police if any clues are found against her, adding that she might be booked under section 419 (fraud). At least 10 such fake medical practitioners have been traced by Dr Jakhrani but they were later released. It is not an easy task to go after such quacks, he added.

Dr Jakhrani has been receiving threats from different criminal groups since he began inquiries into the operations of quacks in Keamari — the neighbourhood is infamous for giving leeway to hundreds of quacks to operate freely. He laments that despite this fact, no proper mechanism was in place to take action. He admitted that countless fake clinics existed in other parts of the city but no one takes action out of fear.

According to sources, Dr Soomro closed down her clinic a few days after the news of her negligence appeared in The Express Tribune. “I felt the authorities had taken notice against her when she closed down her clinic,” said a resident. She resumed operations after a few days, he said, adding that it seemed she was more powerful than the authorities.



The posters and banners put up at different places in Keamari claim that Dr Soomro, in the past, had worked as a medical officer at Bantva Memon Hospital, Kharadar, and a consultant gynecologist at the Aga Khan Hospital (AKU), although AKU denied her claims.

Incident and inquiry

The PMA began probe against her when a resident of Keamari, Amjad Khan, complained that his wife, Uzma, had died due to Dr Soomro’s negligence on September 1, 2012. The PMA’s anti-quackery committee wrote letters to the AKU and Bantva hospital’s management to ascertain if she had ever worked with them.

“We received responses from both the hospitals that she was never with them,” disclosed Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, the secretary of the PMA’s anti-quackery committee. The PMA also wrote letters to the College of Physician Surgeon Pakistan and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. “We have written letters to both the prestigious bodies but niether verified that she is a licenced doctor,” Dr Shoro added.

Meanwhile, Dr Matloob Hussain, the alleged quack’s husband, contacted The Express Tribune, saying he was the husband of Dr Soomro. Justifying his wives’ practice, he said that some elements were unhappy with the popularity of the clinic. “My wife is a genuine doctor and we are ready for the investigations,” he claimed. He informed that all certificates had been provided to the cell. When The Express Tribune asked if his wife had ever worked at the AKU or Bantva hospital, he responded by saying, “Yes, she has worked there and the banners in Keamari were for publicity purposes.”

On Tuesday, when Dr Jakhrani contacted Dr Hussain for the certificates, he received threats in return. “Instead of providing the documents, Dr Hussain threatened me,” said Dr Jakhrani. He informed that the government will take action against the husband and the wife, disclosing that Dr Hussain was not a real doctor himself. “We’ll launch an investigation against the two of them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2013.