Herbal Quackery Threatens People's Health In Rural South Punjab

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2025) A dangerous trend of unqualified herbal quacks is rapidly spreading across south Punjab, putting public health at serious risk.

These self-proclaimed healers, with no recognised medical degrees or formal training, are freely practising in villages and small towns often misguiding patients and causing long-term health complications.

In almost every district of South Punjab, from Rajanpur to Layyah and Bahawalnagar to Lodhran, herbal clinics have mushroomed under various flashy Names. Many of these so-called herbal doctors are claiming to treat everything from infertility and obesity to chronic pain and kidney disorders often with harmful and unregulated substances.

According to Dr Waqas Malik (MBBS), “These herbal quacks create fear among youth about their health, especially regarding masculinity and weakness, and then prescribe medicines that sometimes permanently damage kidneys and liver. Most of their formulas contain steroids and heavy metals.”

What makes the problem even more alarming is the use of social media by these individuals to aggressively market their products. Different social media platforms are flooded with videos where such individuals pose in white coats, use medical terminology, and display fake testimonials to win trust.

Many desperate patients, especially from undereducated or rural backgrounds, fall into their trap.

“Uneducated patients can’t differentiate between a real doctor and a herbal quack,” said Sadia, a healthcare activist from Multan. “In some cases, patients stop taking proper medication for serious illnesses like diabetes or hepatitis and switch to these herbal treatments which worsened their condition.”

Despite repeated warnings from health experts, government authorities have taken little action, she added. The Punjab Healthcare Commission is mandated to regulate private health facilities, but its reach in rural South Punjab remains limited due to a lack of staff and resources.

Dr Waqas stresses, “Government institutions must take strict action to counter these practices. Regular monitoring, public awareness campaigns, and crackdown operations are urgently needed.” He also suggests running awareness drives in local languages to educate people about the risks of seeking treatment from unlicensed individuals.