Daily Times

KARACHI: The newly appointed Sindh’s Health Secretary, Dr Fazalullah Pechuho, has strictly directed the district authorities to act against at least 6,627 quacks in the province who are playing with the precious lives of humans, Daily Times has learnt.

While taking over the charge as secretary health, the senior bureaucrat has issued clear instruction to all the district authorities to launch a massive crackdown against 6,627 quacks operating in almost all districts of the province in accordance with the orders of SHC.

“The health authorities have been directed to act against the quacks, register FIR’s against them so that they could be taken to task”, sources added.

According to sources, there are some 2,155 quacks which are operating in Karachi, while 1,512 in Hyderabad, 249 in Mirpurkhas, 1,145 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 968 in Sukkur and 598 in Larkana district.

According to a report submitted by the health department in the Sindh High Court (SHC), the number of quacks in the province, which was 3,947 in the report compiled in May this year, has further risen up to 6,627.

According to the report, the highest number of quacks has been traced in Khairpur, Hyderabad, Larkana, Jacobabad, Mirpurkhas, Ghotki, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Naushero Feroz, Tando Allahyar, Shikarpur and Badin at 661, 387, 350, 302, 276, 273, 257, 236, 235, 221, 215 and 190, respectively.

The health department has been claiming to have sealed 942 of the 6,627 clinics of the quacks while another 1,127 fake doctors have volunteered to shut down their businesses out of fear of action. However, the number of police
cases registered against quackery remains as low as 129.

The report’s summary submitted in the court a couple of months ago showed inconsistent action against quacks, which varies from district to district. For example, the authorities claim that 70% to 100% of quacks in four districts have either shut down their outlets or the health department has sealed their clinics. These include 549 out of 661 quacks in Khairpur, 142 out of 168 Dadu, 131 out of 190 in Badin and all the 276 in Mirpurkhas.

In this contrast, not a single clinic could be closed in Sanghar, which has the highest number of fake doctors at 703, and in Karachi Central and Karachi East, where 147 and 135 such impostors, respectively, have been spotted.

Interestingly, the Sindh health department claims that a large number of quacks – 1,127 – had volunteered to close their clinics after the authorities began a crackdown as compared to the 942, whose health centers were officially sealed.

The sources opined that the new secretary’s move to act against quacks in the province might provide relief to poor people if actions are taken in true sprit .