6 fake clinics sealed in Barakahu

­Islamabad : In a bid to discourage the unqualified medical practitioners continuing in the federal capital, the district health department Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Monday sealed six fake clinics and registered cases against concerned persons.

As per details senior Drug Inspector Sardar Shabbir Ahmed conducted raids on various fake clinics operating in Barakahu (Dhoke Mohrian) following the complaints received from locals.

He said fake treatment centers were sealed and the record has been called for further inspection.

He informed that all the clinics were using sub standard drugs and were involved using open ampoules (a small sealed glass capsule containing a liquid) by injecting non sterile injections to patients.

They were also keeping and selling huge quantity of allopathic drugs without license, while a clinic was run by an unqualified lady who posses her to be a doctor.

Meanwhile, these quacks, having no required qualification, established their clinics in different areas of Islamabad and playing with health of innocent people and their basic objective was not to provide any health facility but to mint money.

Besides that residents have expressed concern over the weak health infrastructure in rural areas, saying many homeopathic doctors have also started cheating people due to the absence of doctors in rural health centers and basic health units.

A resident of federal capital, Muhammad Anees said there were many who hold the degree of homeopathy but giving patients allopathic medicines, claiming themselves as allopathic doctor.

"I took my ill mother to a homeopathic doctor who runs his clinic as an allopathic consultant, adding he gave her wrong medicines which affected her both kidneys instantly, "Sadia Babar a resident of G-13 said.

Later, I took my mother to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital where doctors told us that wrong medications had damaged her both kidneys," she added.

Raja Waheed, another resident of G-11 said that once I felt pain in my chest and visited the nearest clinic where doctor charged quite low fee and believed to be curative.

I have started feeling better immediately as he injected a painkiller, after that I became accustomed to painkillers which ultimately turned me a patient of high blood pressure, " he said.

Dr Ammara, a medical practitioner said quackery is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the country as due to unsterilized medical instruments being used in check up processes main reason for spreading Hepatitis C.

She claimed that these quacks run their clinics mostly in underdeveloped areas to making people fool and used antibiotic and painkillers to give instant relief to patients against petty amount.

When contacted, an official of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) said that the council has been running countrywide campaign to stop illegal and unlicensed medical practice.

PMDC would continue its efforts to eliminate the menace of quackery which was playing havoc with the lives of the poor patients in the country, he added.