6,80,000 quacks are playing with the lives of common man in Pakistan

MULTAN:In compliance with the apex court’s order, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to launch an extensive campaign to inhibit the menace that has been causing various hazardous diseases and jeopardising people’s lives.More than 6,80,000 quacks run their illicit business without fear in Pakistan mostly in rural areas of Punjab and Sindh while one-third of the total 0.68 million quacks of the country are found in Southern Punjab.PMDC’s Anti-Quackery Committee Chairman Dr Ali Farhan Razi disclosed that a country-wide crackdown would be launched against quacks playing with the lives of human in the guise of doctors. PMDC Registrar Dr Ahmed Nadeem Akbar was also with the chairman of PMDC told that the council had decided to join hands with the district and provincial authorities, Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and both electronic and print media to ensure an effective drive against the quackery rise in Pakistan.
It was also decided in the meeting to hold meetings with the stakeholders of major cities and the first meeting of the anti-quackery committee in this regard held on April 30 in Karachi.PMDC Registrar Dr Ahmed Nadeem Akbar informed that proper health care is every individual’s right under Article 9 of the Constitution and that such a basic right cannot be denied to the public on account of unauthorised medial practitioners functioning throughout the country.
The PMDC with the assistance of federal and provincial governments would launch a campaign with the collaboration of qualified doctors, media and common public throughout the country so as to punish quacks and bring such illegal and unlicensed activities before the law according to the directions of the apex court, he added.
 Chairman Dr Ali Farhan Razi that the chief drug inspector and drug inspectors of the federal and provincial governments have equal responsibility to prevent the supply of spurious medicines to the general public.The meeting also called upon the federal and the provincial health secretaries to take steps in coordination with the PMDC recommendations against quackery and other malpractices in healthcare professions.Quackery is responsible for an increase in deadly diseases while the government should take stern notice of the situation,he said. These so-called physicians play with the lives of poor people while their malpractice is resulting in the increase of HIV/Aids, Hepatitis B, C, Tuberculosis, Cancer and other deadly diseases. Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) leader Dr Shahid Rao regretted that the laws made against quack doctors could not be implemented as yet. He said that there are several small clinics in various villages, towns and cities across the country including Multan,Faisalabad,Sialkot,Dera Ghazi Khan,Bahawalpur,Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, Rawalpindi ,hyderabad and Karachi where untrained people provide ‘treatment’ to patients. Dr Shahid Rao  further said that every year World Health Day is celebrated all over the world including Pakistan but nobody raises voice against quack doctors. Only PMA for the last many years has been raising voice against these quacks, he added. A report revealed that more than 44,000 people are suffering from Hepatitis B and C in South punjab. He said steps should be taken for vaccination and treatment of hepatitis. “Due to unawareness this disease has been escalating among masses”, it added.The report further said that for the first time steps have been taken to provide vaccination to 300 beauticians working at different beauty parlours. He said an awareness-raising programme has also been launched to give information about hepatitis and other diseases. He informed that steps have been taken to spread awareness against hepatitis in the prisons. He said at all hospitals treatment is being offered to patients free of cost.