Drugs prescribed by quacks giving rise to kidney failure, cancer

Rawalpindi
The use of heavy metals, chemicals and toxic substances being provided to public by non-qualified hakims and quacks in the name of medicines has multiplied the number of cases of acute kidney failure and cancer.
According to health experts, the number of cases of kidney diseases is on the rise because people have started using these injurious to health substances being sold in the market mostly under the label of ‘tibb’ and ‘unani’ medicines.
It is observed that over past few years, the use of unregistered substances being sold as medicines has increased and emerged as the most common cause behind increase in patients with acute kidney failure and deaths, said Head of Urology Department at Rawalpindi Medical College Professor Mumtaz Ahmed while talking to ‘The News’ on Thursday.
He said that most of these substances sold as medicines like ‘kushtaas’ and ‘maajuns’ contain heavy metals which are neither digestible nor could be excreted by kidneys. The use of majority of these substances is highly injurious to health and can cause irrecoverable loss to human organs and body systems, he said.
The majority of these substances are sold to males as medicines for energy and sexual arousal while females take them during pregnancy to overcome weakness. The substances provided to patients by non-qualified hakims and quacks do not have any relation to ‘tibb’ or ‘unani’ origin instead these are extremely harmful to kidneys and other organs of the body, said Dr. Mumtaz.
He said that the data available at the allied hospitals and general practice reveal that cases of heavy metals induced kidney failure are frequently being reported from rural areas of Rawalpindi division along with significant number of patients from city areas particularly those belonging to low and low-middle classes.
He added that the metals like mercury, copper, silver, aluminium, selenium etc injure the small vessels and ducts of kidneys and result in massive destruction leading to irreversible kidney failure.
He explained that the use of heavy metals and injurious to health chemicals causes fatigue and swelling around eyes and feet and then the patients who take these substances develop complications leading to kidney failure characterized by whole body swelling, breathlessness, chest pains, palpitations, back pains, shock and death if the cases remain untreated.
He added that most of the patients with complications after using these substances require repeated dialysis but it is a temporary treatment modality and the only treatment is transplant which is not affordable by most of these patients.
Talking of the reasons behind increase in use of these substances in the name of medicines, Dr. Mumtaz said the main reason is unawareness among public and self-medication in ignorance while another factor is that there is no control, no regulations and no prerequisites for promotion of such toxic material in the name of medicines.
He said that it is shocking that some of these substances called as medicines by promoters under the name of ‘kushtaas’ and ‘maajuns’ contain various types of poisons which are highly injurious to health and human organs.
He said that around the globe, all the adverse effects of a medicine are being recorded regularly but in Pakistan, unfortunately, no-one knows what the medicine is. “In the world, a medicine can be promoted only after details about the substance means what actually the medicine chemically is and for what purpose and what is its recommended dose.”
He said that regulation is needed to safeguard public from these injurious substances and manufacturer of any medicine should be held responsible for any reaction or damage caused by the medicine.
To a query, Dr. Mumtaz said majority of non-qualified hakims provide harmful substances in the name of medicines to patients in the form of small packets after wrapping up some powder in paper and no-one knows what actually the substance is. It is need of the time to check the practice strictly to avoid losses of human lives, he said.
A top official at the district health department expressed to ‘The News’ on condition of anonymity that in the absence of proper regulation, it is hardly possible for the health department to check use of injurious substances being sold as medicines. The health department is unable to check sale of ‘kushtaas’ and ‘maajuns’ being sold as medicines under the labels of ‘tib’ or ‘unani’ medicines, he said.