Herbal Quackery Threatens People's Health In Rural South Punjab

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th May, 2025) A hazardous trend of unqualified herbal quacks is rapidly spreading

across South Punjab, putting public health at serious risk.

These self-proclaimed healers, with no recognized medical degrees or formal training,

are freely practicing in villages and small towns often misguiding patients and causing

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 the 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 that “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.