IHRA seals eight clinics run by quacks

ISLAMABAD: Eight clinics owned and run by a family of ‘quacks’ have been sealed by the inspection teams of Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) in Rawat, Bhara Kahu and Tarnol areas of Islamabad where persons without any qualification or training were treating serious patients and even performing dental procedures, officials said on Friday.

An inspection team of IHRA detected a cluster of dental clinics in Rawat, owned and run by a family of quacks. Preliminary investigation revealed that the owners of these clinics were previously ‘milk-sellers’ who established several dental clinics in single shops in the crowded area.

“Our team sealed two dental establishments which were not registered with the IHRA, had improper sterilization and expired materials and no doctors,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) IHRA Dr Quaid Saeed told The News.

During the inspection, several other clinics run by the members of the same clan were found closed, as after learning about the team’s visit to the area, he added that they closed their establishments and fled. Rawat, according to him, is full of quacks where dental and medical clinics, one-room labs, homoeopaths and hakeems are playing with the lives of people. “Our team found a patient with infection in his teeth as his tooth implants were performed by a quack who was not even a technician.

The patient, a security guard initially claimed that the doctor performed the tooth implant but revealed that the so-called technician treated him but since the procedure, he was in pain and unable to eat properly”, Dr. Quaid Saeed said. He deplored that despite continuous actions and the sealing of clinics, these quacks shifted to other areas and started playing with the lives of people.

In the Tarnol area of the capital, another IHRA team sealed two clinics. One of the clinics was previously fined. It had no doctor when the team visited. The clinic conditions were unhygienic, expired surgical needles were found and the waste management system was improper.

In Bhara Kahu, the IHRA inspection team also sealed four healthcare establishments being run by quacks. One of the clinics was being run by a person who claimed to be qualified without any proof and had many used syringes.

In Bhara Kahu, the IHRA team sealed a clinic which was being run without proper registration and had expired and improperly stored medications. A medical centre was sealed for being unregistered and operating without any doctor. An unqualified midwife was acting as sonologist.

Dr Quaid Saeed maintained that their teams also issued warnings to several healthcare establishments for being untidy, having unhygienic conditions, improper waste management systems, expired and unlabeled medicines and other irregularities.

“Quacks are playing with the lives of people and spreading infections life Hepatitis B&C and HIV as they don’t have any infection prevention and control systems. People are compelled to visit these facilities because these areas lack government-run health facilities or they are not operational in the evening and night”, Dr Quaid Saeed said and called for public awareness regarding quackery.