Rawalpindi - A large number of quacks are playing havoc with poor patients’ lives in the city but the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) and District Health Department (DHD) have kept criminal mum over the issue.
Most of the quacks, having bogus bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS) degrees and other diplomas that too from unrecognised universities and colleges, are operating in rural areas. The quacks are giving substandard medicines to the people and are charging heavily.  
However, the district government and health department high-ups seem unconcerned about the poor’s plight. People said these quacks are being patronised by health officials.
Among many other quacks, a ‘lady gynaecologist’ has been treating patients in a private clinic located on Chakri Road near Frontier Hotel for long, playing havoc with health and lives of poor patients, reliable sources confided to The Nation yesterday.
The lady namely Abida Parveen, 26, daughter of Muhammad Yousaf has obtained a bogus MBBS degree from Khyber Medical College, University of Peshawar, bearing registration number 2008-KMC-8216, roll number 9571, and CNIC number 61101-5675064-8, sources added. The quack has also been using a bogus PMDC number 49715-N that has no record on the website of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, sources said.
They said that the lady quack had mentioned his basic qualification as “middle” and profession as “housewife” in the form of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) while applying for computerised national identity card (CNIC). Her token number was 52, tracking ID number was 503681026995, while the form was submitted at NADRA office Rawat on December 17, 2013.
The lady quack has been curing the expected ladies and even operating upon them at the clinic as gynaecologist, something seeking strong attention of top authorities, sources said.
A resident of the area tendered a written complaint with DCO Rawalpindi on March 8, 2016, exposing all the wrongdoings of the gang of quacks operating in his area and sought legal action. Unfortunately, no action against the quacks has been taken so far, sources said.
Several attempts made by The Nation to get comments from Abida Parveen about her degree proved futile.
EDO (Health) Dr Arshad Ali Sabir did not attend his cell phone when this correspondent tried to seek his version over the situation.
DCO Sajid Zafar Dall replied, “Please wait,” when this correspondent sought his version over inaction against quacks despite a complaint lodged by a citizen.
On the other hand, a gang of quacks mercilessly subjected a media team to torture when it reached a ‘clinic’ to expose the fraud. The victim media team of a private TV channel lodged complaint with police station Saddar Bairooni for registration of criminal case against the quacks.