Daily Times

KARACHI: Lee Market, one of the economic zones of the city has now become a breeding ground for quackery. The illegal and unfounded practice in healthcare is being carried out mostly in oral and homeopathy segments, Daily Times has learnt on Friday.

During March 2017, Sindh Health Department in order to dislodge this practice has discovered 40 cases of quackery in Karachi’s Lee Market area alone.

“During March2017, the Health Department has also issued notices to 43 practicing persons on reports of quackery,” said Dr Atique-Ur-Rehman Qureshi, focal person for Anti-Quackery District South who recently took over charge of District South.

“Out of 43 cases, only three practicing people have been given clean chit on grounds of verification and on submission of relevant valid documents,” he confirmed.

“There are around 25 cases of dental health whereas 15 of homeopathy practice have been found guilty of wrongdoing,” he added. “Homeopathy related cases belong to the City Railway Station area, he clarified.

However there has been no FIR’s registered, neither any arrest nor sealing of such quackery clinics, health department informed.

“On the pretext of tight schedule of the respective Assistant Commissioner on carrying out national Censes process, we could not file any FIR, Dr Atique said. “The presence of Assistant Commissioner is obligatory in order to seal a premise,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that no such regulatory authority exists in any hospital in Sindh, or in the country. By default provincial health departments have those powers. It is the responsibility to check number of hospitals in their respective areas whether institution is government, semi government or private. It is also their responsibility to check any quackery practice as well. Recently Sindh government appointed Professor Tipu Sultan as first Chairman of Sindh Healthcare Commission.