The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has sealed 1,415 illegal treatment centres across the province as part of an ongoing crackdown on quackery and unauthorised medical practices.
During the past six weeks, the PHC’s Anti-Quackery Department carried out 6,380 raids in different districts to curb unsafe, unqualified and unlawful healthcare services. The operation resulted in the sealing of 1,153 functioning illegal treatment centres.
The enforcement teams also inspected 72 facilities that had previously been sealed, revisited 43 centres following their closure, and identified 62 premises that had been abandoned by quacks. In addition, 118 cases of seal tampering were detected, along with 10 unregistered treatment centres and four facilities that had already been sealed by district health authorities.
During the inspections, 143 centres were found to be operating under qualified healthcare practitioners. Another 4,068 treatment facilities have been placed under surveillance to ensure that medical services are provided only by legally authorised and qualified professionals.
The campaign also found that 376 centres had either shut down, shifted to other locations or been converted into different businesses following PHC enforcement measures.
Lahore witnessed the highest enforcement activity, with 894 raids leading to the sealing of 293 illegal treatment centres. In Kasur, 327 raids resulted in 104 closures, while Dera Ghazi Khan recorded 465 raids and 94 sealing actions.
In Sheikhupura, PHC teams conducted 252 raids and sealed 80 illegal centres. Nankana Sahib saw 206 raids and 64 sealing actions, while Faisalabad recorded 241 raids, resulting in the closure of 63 illegal treatment centres.
A PHC spokesperson said the anti-quackery campaign was a major public-safety initiative aimed at protecting citizens from unsafe, unauthorised and unlawful healthcare practices.
The spokesperson said that, to date, the Commission had conducted 263,257 raids, sealed 75,015 quackery outlets and persuaded 34,675 quacks to abandon their illegal practices.
The PHC urged citizens to obtain consultation, diagnosis and treatment only from qualified, registered and legally authorised healthcare professionals. People were also advised to verify that healthcare facilities are properly registered and licensed by the Commission.
The public can report suspected quackery and other unsafe healthcare practices to the PHC.
New Pims Chief Vows Stronger Patient Safety Measures After Deadly Fire
