I would like to draw the government's attention towards quacks and hakeems that treat patients in mostly unhygienic conditions by the roadside. These quacks openly run their business, often treating their customers like animals but nobody takes notice. I think the Council of Herbal Physicians of Pakistan needs to play a role in catching and prosecuting quacks so that lives of the innocent citizens can be saved. The Mahir-e-Dandan Saz and Mahir-e-Haddi Jorr are far too popular among the public which has no idea of the damage they can do to their health. The traditional quacks have been a major threat to the health system for quite long. People like to consult these quacks instead of going to doctors and hospitals. The public is unaware of the horrendous after-effects of their unprofessional treatments. Another reason for their being able to fleece the public is that most people neither have the money to afford proper healthcare nor any qualified doctors within their accessible vicinity to provide them proper treatment. -ASMA DILSHAD WARRAICH, Lahore, via e-mail, August 21.