LAHORE - While continuing with its anti-quackery campaign across the province, the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has shut down 236 illegal businesses of quacks after its enforcement teams conducted raids on 993 treatment centres.

During the last week, the PHC teams took action against quacks in 11 districts. As per the data, on 38 previously-marked quacks’ centres, qualified physicians had started provided treatment facilities, while 359 quacks were found to have quit their illegal businesses.

Moreover, the commission will also start surveillance of 310 treatment centres, which were marked as quackery outlets, but were found to be run by qualified physicians when the teams conducted raids. Among the closed down centres, 15 were in Sahiwal, 12 each in Rawalpindi and Vehari, 11 each in Muzaffargarh and Nankana Sahab, 10 in Attock 10, eight in Sialkot, four in Gujranwala, and two in Lahore.

On the other hand, a big crackdown on quacks was launched in Faisalabad. Taking immediate action on complaints, PHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Saqib Aziz ordered the PHC’s special teams to raid the illegal centres. Those special teams raided 332 centres and closed down 151 out of them. The CEO said that action would continue against quacks until their elimination from society. “So far, the commission has shut down 32,563 quacks’ outlets, and its teams have checked over 96,000 treatment centres. Moreover, over 22,000 have quit their illegal businesses because of the action against them,” he said adding that the PHC had imposed more than Rs731 million as fine on quacks.