PHC seals 539 quack outlets in 22 districts

Lahore: While continuing with its anti-quackery campaign, the Punjab Healthcare Commission on Sunday carried out a big crackdown in 22 districts and closed down 539 outlets of quacks.

The PHC enforcement teams had conducted raids on 2,689 treatment centres during March. They found that 98 qualified physicians started treating patients at the previously marked quacks’ centres. Also, the teams started surveillance of 1,469 centres.

Out of the 22 districts, the maximum number of 407 raids were conducted in Faisalabad, and 66 centres were sealed. Among the rest, 35 backstreet clinics were sealed in Sheikhupura, Kasur 29, Sargodha 28, Khanewal 23, Sialkot 22, Attock 19, Rawalpindi 18 and Lahore 17.

A spokesperson added that the PHC teams so far visited over 154,000 centres, and closed down around 43,300 illegal outlets, while more than 35,300 quacks were found to have quit their illegal businesses.