PHC Intensifies Crackdown, Seals 970 Quackery Outlets

Muhammad Irfan Published September 11, 2024 | 03:50 PM

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2024) The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has ramped up its anti-quackery campaign, conducting raids on 4,705 treatment centres across Punjab and sealing 970 illegal healthcare facilities.

The raids, carried out over a six-week period, targeted a variety of establishments, including clinics, laboratories, and aesthetic centres, according to a PHC spokesperson on Wednesday.

Among the facilities inspected, 633 centres had undergone business changes, likely in response to the PHC’s stringent measures. Meanwhile, 2,945 healthcare establishments were placed under surveillance, as they were found to be run by qualified professionals at the time of the raids. "This ongoing initiative underscores the PHC’s commitment to safeguarding public health and ensuring that only qualified and licensed professionals deliver healthcare services in Punjab," stated Dr.

Muhammad Saqib Aziz, CEO of the PHC.

The Lahore district recorded the highest number of closures, with 108 illegal treatment centres shut down. The crackdown also extended to other districts, with 88 closures in Faisalabad, 57 each in Kasur and Sialkot, 53 in Gujranwala, 42 each in Narowal and Pakpattan, and 41 in Okara.

The sealed centres included unregistered clinical and diagnostic laboratories, unqualified practitioners posing as general physicians, maternity home operators, hakeems, homoeopaths, opticians, dentists, and bone-setters.

The PHC spokesperson revealed that since its inception, the commission has raided 196,873 treatment centres and shut down over 54,000 illegal outlets, with 41,203 quacks abandoning their unlawful practices. The PHC’s crackdown continues to be a vital part of ensuring safe and reliable healthcare services in the province.