KARACHI - The Sindh Healthcare Commission has established Anti-Quackery Directorate to eliminate quackery in Sindh province. Dr Ayaz Mustafa has been appointed as Director Anti-Quackery.
SHCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Minhaj A Qidwai told media that the commission had set up Anti-Quackery Directorate to launch a comprehensive crackdown on quacks throughout Sindh province. He said the first meeting of stakeholders, including academia, local government officials, law enforcement agencies, service delivery providers and others, would be held next week to chalk out a comprehensive strategy against the quacks.
He informed that the commission had also established three separate cells including strategic, research & development cell; inspection & enforcement cell; and advocacy, communication & social mobilization cell at Anti-Quackery Directorate for multiple purposes. These cells will operate as per given tasks to eliminate quackery.
Dr Qidwai said Director General Health Sindh had initially provided a list of 5,000 quacks operating across the province and crackdown on such elements would be started soon with coordination of all stakeholders. He said further action against quacks would be initiated after their identification.
He informed that the commission was planning to conduct comprehensive census to know actual number quacks working in Karachi as well as interior parts of Sindh province. He said complete data of quacks would be available after census. CEO SHCC said district level meetings with all stakeholders would be held before launching the crackdown.
Earlier, SHCC has launched a smartphone based application to fight the menace of quackery in collaboration with Authentic, a private concern. The new technology will accelerate and help the process of fight against quackery in Sindh province.
SHCC Chairman Prof Tipu Sultan said that the SHCC is an autonomous regulatory authority to ensure quality of healthcare and eradicate quackery in Sindh.
He said that to take an innovate approach to deal with quackery by brining this issue at the conscious level of common man.
He informed that the SHCC first time in the history of Pakistan is launching a mobile based application to fight the menace of quackery in collaboration with Authentic, a private concern. He said that the app is being launched under patient safety first slogan and a patient can easily the check doctor’s Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) registration number through the app by entering his/her registration number on the spot.