30 quack businesses sealed

LAHORE : Punjab Healthcare Commission on Tuesday sealed 30 quackery outlets in different cities of the province.

According to a press release issued here, PHC teams inspected 148 treatment centres in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Lodharan, Sargodha and Pakpattan, and sealed 30 of them.

The officials of the district administration and police accompanied the Punjab Healthcare Commission teams. Ten centres were sealed in Sargodha, six in Rawalpindi, four each in Pakpattan and Lodharan.

PHC action: Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) should work as an engine of anti-quackery drive. She said this while chairing her first meeting of healthcare watchdog PHC on Tuesday, according to a handout issued here.

Punjab Healthcare Commission Chief Operating Officer Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan briefed the minister on the achievements of his department. Dr Yasmin Rashid while seeking report on quality assurance also directed PHC to submit details of actions taken to date.

She directed the COO to recover the amounts of fine on a fast track.

The real hurdle in this regard was the stay orders by the lower judiciary, however, honorable Supreme Court had recently passed on its directions to the district and session courts to avoid unnecessary stay orders, Dr. Ajmal told the minister. She directed that zero-tolerance should be shown against quacks.