Health Care
KARACHI: The 14th meeting of the Anti-Quackery Committee (AQC) was held by the Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC) at its Head Office on September 26th, 2024.
Convener of the Anti-Quackery Committee Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro chaired the meeting. Commissioners Dr. Sajjad Siddiqui and Prof. Dr. Shoaib Gangat, alongside CEO -SHCC, Director Anti Quackery and team members including Deputy Director and Assistant Directors participated in the meeting.
Under Section 28(1) of SHCC Regulations 2017, a total of 64 cases were reviewed by the Board of Commissioners for imposition of penalties.
A total fine of PKR 4.2 million was imposed on 64 healthcare establishments (HCEs), with orders to issue warnings and lodging FIR (First Information Report) on a case-to-case basis.
‘A robust process of follow-ups be adopted with a timeline to ensure compliance’: stated the Committee Chair Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro. Further directions were issued to the team to ensure stringent penalties on “impersonators” – quacks impersonating doctors.
The committee recommended that a special plan be implemented for an increase in the process of lodgment of FIRs (First Information Report) on illegal practitioners, involved in repeated illegal de-sealing of HCE’s.
The committee ordered that all practitioners working beyond have to submit proof of qualification / relevant educational documents including verification of degrees through respective councils and SHCC to validate the same.
It was also agreed that qualified practitioners must display sign boards outside their healthcare establishments and that diplomas and certificates are to be clearly displayed inside the establishment as proof of evidence of authenticity, to be verified by SHCC Teams.
The Committee ordered rigorous checks on health care practitioners charged with ‘illegal de-sealing’ of their premises under SHCC regulations 2017. AQC also recommended fast recovery of all penalties imposed, failure of which, strict actions will be taken by the Commission.
