PHC orders criminal proceedings against three quacks

LAHORE :The Punjab Healthcare Commission has ordered criminal proceedings against three quacks besides closing down their businesses and imposing a fine of Rs1 million on them.

According to a press release issued here on Thursday, a citizen, Banaras Hussain, filed a complaint with the Commission that he took his two children, 13-year-old daughter Laiba and 16-year-old son Hiader Ali, to the Life Care Clinical Laboratory of Harpuki village, Gujranwala, where quack Nisar Ahmed started treatment, but their condition deteriorated and were shifted to another hospital.

After investigating the case, the Commission imposed a fine of Rs0.2 million on the accused, stopped the laboratory from working and directed the authorities concerned to initiate criminal proceeding against the quack. In the second case, a resident of Kot Momin, Ghulam Abbas, took his pregnant sister to the Fatima Trust Hospital, Sargodha, where a midwife, Fatima, examined and operated upon the patient, but the patient died of excessive bleeding.

After investigation, the Commission not only sealed the hospital, but also imposed a fine worth Rs0.5 million and directed the local authorities to register a case for initiating criminal proceedings. 

In another case, a man, Muhammad Amjad, took his mother to the Badar Clinic of Boya Aasal, Pattoki, where quack Muhammad Tahir Tajammul initially prescribed medicine for 15 days, but afterwards carried out operation without the attendants’ consent.

Upon worsening the patient’s condition, she was moved to the Lahore General Hospital, Lahore. When the Commission investigated the matter, it was found out that Tahir Tajammul was a dispenser whose wrong treatment complicated the ailment further.

For practising quackery, the Commission imposed a fine of Rs0.3million on him, and directed the local authorities to initiate criminal proceedings against him.