MINGORA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission here on Sunday sealed four private health facilities and issued legal notices to four others.

The HCC team after receiving public complaints through Pakistan Citizen Portal, paid surprise visits to different private health facilities and clinics in Gul Jabba, Kala Kallay, Shah Dherai, Bara Bandai in Kabal tehsil and Bypass area in Mingora where it found several quacks and illegal clinics.

Taking immediate action against the quacks, who were found treating patients, the health facilities and clinics were sealed.

“During our raids, we found several quacks. We took action against them. Among them Sardar Khan, Saifullah, Ms Sartaj and Shah Khalid were caught red-handed. They were treating local patients,” said Faiz Ali Khan, the head of the HCC team.

He said that Sardar Medical Store and Health Clinic; Ms Sartaj LHV Labour Room; and Shah Medical Store and Health Clinic were sealed under the relevant laws.

Similarly, several other unregistered clinics and laboratories were found without having legal documents.

“During the inspection, unregistered clinics and laboratories including Imran Medical Centre and Clinical Laboratory, Dr Imran Clinic, Dr Shumaila Sultan Clinic and Dr Sanaullah Dental Clinic were issued notices for immediate registration,” he said.

However, majority of the quacks shut their clinics and laboratories and ran away when they came to know about the inspection of the HCC team.

The team of HCC resolved to take legal action against every fake doctor and illegal clinic in Swat. It said that quacks would not be allowed to play with the health of poor people.

The members of HCC team also urged people to help the commission in identifying fake and illegal medical clinics and laboratories so that timely action could be taken against them.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2019