LAHORE: The Punjab Healthcare Commission has shut down 168 quacks’ treatment centres across the province during the last two weeks.
This was informed by the PHC spokesperson on Sunday while sharing that in its anti-quackery drive in 22 cities of the province, the PHC enforcement teams carried out raids on 1, 438 treatment centres. The PHC teams had converted 404 quackery centres into other legal ones while qualified physicians were treating patients at 96 centres. The PHC would continue surveillance of 644 treatment centres where qualified physicians were working at the time of raids, the PHC confirmed.
Among the closed outlets, 22 centres were closed down in Rawalpindi, 18 each in Sialkot and Gujrat, 16 in Gujranwala, 13 in Bahawalpur, 12 in Kasur, 9 in Bhakkar, 6 each in Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan and Khanewal, 5 each in Sheikhupura, Faisalabad and Lodhran, 4 each in Chakwal, Jhelum and Rajanpur, 3 each in Dera Ghazi Khan and Vehari, and one in Attock.
In Lahore, Arif Clinic, MM Medical and Gynae Centre, Guardian Home, Bismillah Pharmacy, Hafiz Medical Store and Sajjad Clinic were sealed.
The PHC teams had so far visited over one lac centres, closed down over 33, 000 illegal outlets, and imposed a fine of more than Rs762 million. “As per the data, around 23, 500 quacks have quit their illegal businesses, ” the spokesperson concluded.