FAISALABAD: Jhang Bazaar, a major marketplace of the Clock Tower known as centre of all kinds of businesses, has virtually become a hub of makeshift medical set-ups by the quacks, offering ‘treatment’ at nominal charges.

Entering the Jhang Bazaar from Clock Tower side, one encounters makeshift ‘dental clinics’ displaying various sorts of dentures and artificial teeth. Like the city areas, quacks are also burgeoning in rural areas due to negligence of the district government officials.

Zahid Ali has no qualms about working as quack and treating teeth of young and old without any sterilisation.

“A quack has no training in a particular job and he prescribes medicines without any consideration while I have excellent experience and training of treating teeth and serving the people without a heavy fee,” he says, adding that one can see a number of clinics set up by qualified doctors even in posh areas which are run by paramedics. Nothing is being done against such doctors treating patients through their paramedics, only we (quacks) are being penalised, he complains.

There are ill-trained people in every sector in the country, he says. Quoting an example, he says vehicle mechanics having no proper qualification are also fixing vehicles. Recalling the issue of Kalar Kahar bus accident in which more than two dozen students of a private school of Faisalabad were killed a couple of years back, Zahid says each and the governments know that the bus was modified and was unfit to for thoroughfares, however, no crackdown was launched on the mechanics despite loss of so many lives.

Like Zahid, another quack Akbar Ali has also arguments to defend his business of selling the oil of chameleon, locally known as Saanda.

Claiming it a remedy for pain of joints and an aphrodisiac, he says doctors receive thousands of rupees for treatment of joints pain, however, I receive only Rs500 to Rs600 for the oil extracted from the fats of the reptile. He has his makeshift set up outside the Dhobi Ghat Ground.

“I had been running my Dawakhana (clinic) for last many years that is evidence of the masses trust in my treatment,” Akbar asserts.

Menace of quackery is unabated in the district and quacks are playing havoc with the public health with impunity.

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary Dr Irfan says nothing is being done to control quackery, adding that it’s pathetic that quacks have set up clinics even in posh areas due to the negligence of health department officials. He says hepatitis B and C are spreading rapidly in Faisalabad and about 10,000 people passed away of hepatitis and liver diseases in different hospitals of the district last year.

Dr Irfan says a large number of patients have been admitted to the Allied and DHQ hospitals due to complications caused by quacks. He says a crackdown on the quacks was launched by the former DCO Saeed Iqbal Wahla (late) with the help of PMA and the district government. A number of clinics were sealed during the campaign that forced quacks of other areas to flee, however, all the sealed clinics have been re-opened. The clinics run by quacks are uncountable, he adds.

An official of the health department, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that the district government has launched a campaign against quackery and quacks of Jhang Bazaar will also face it soon.