LAHORE - The Punjab Healthcare Commission on Saturday has sealed four illegal drug addiction treatment centres and issued show-cause notices to another four in different parts of the province. PHC also closed down another 49 quacks’ outlets in three districts.

According to details, the sealed centres were providing almost no medical and psychiatric treatment to the patients, and were also not registered with the PHC. These entities were without the requisite human resource and facilities, that is, psychiatrists, doctors, para-medical staff and the emergency cover.

The PHC teams carried out raids on 10 treatment centres in Gujranwala and Rawalpindi districts, and sealed four centres. The Noor-e-Zeest Rehabilitation Centre Adiala Road Rawalpindi had resided 11 patients in two rooms, like prison cells. They were medically examined and handed over to their relatives. The premises was sealed. Seven patients were also evacuated from the Hayyat-e-Nou Drug Addiction Treatment Centre prior to its closure after following the due procedure. The Freedom Treatment Rehab Centre and Ch Ijaz Manshiat Hospital (present name Fanoos Homoeopathic Rehabilitation Centre) Gujranwala were also closed down. Two branches of Waadah Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre and Devotion Rehab Centre were issued show-cause notices.

Also, the PHC had sealed another 49 businesses of quacks in three districts, that is, Sahiwal, Okara and Faisalabad. The maximum number of quacks’ outlets 23 were sealed in district Faisalabad, whereas 13 each were closed down in Sahiwal and Okara. As per the data, out of the 137 visited centres, 54 had changed their businesses to other than running quackery outlets.