Lahore - The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) shut down 168 treatment centres of quacks during the last two weeks. In its anti-quackery drive in 22 cities of the province, the PHC enforcement teams carried out raids on 1,438 treatment centres.
Out of all those centres that were raided, 404 were converted into legal medical centres while 96 centres got qualified physicians.
The PHC will continue surveillance of 644 treatment centres where qualified physicians were working at the time of raids.
The PHC shut down 22 centres in Rawalpindi, 18 in Sialkot and Gujrat each, 16 in Gujranwala, 13 in Bahawalpur, 12 in Kasur, nine in Bhakkar, six in Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan and Khanewal each, five in Nankana Sahab, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad and Lodharan each, four in Chakwal, Jhelum and Rajanpur each, three in Dera Ghazi Khan and Vehari each, and one in Attock.
In Lahore, Arif Clinic, MM Medical and Gynae Centre, Guardian Home, Bismillah Pharmacy, Hafiz Medical Store and Sajjad Clinic were sealed.
According to a spokesperson for the PHC, the PHC teams have so far visited more than 100,000 centres, closed down over 33,000 illegal outlets, and imposed a fine of more than Rs762 million. “As per the data, around 23,500 quacks have quit their illegal businesses,” he said.