FAISALABAD, June 30: The government was informed about the working of illegal clinics and the rise of hepatitis in Chak 58-GB about one-and-a-half year ago, but the provincial government did not take any measure, an official document made available to Dawn reveals. (Earlier, Dawn carried a story about the quacks in the June 29 issue.)

The official report, No 1038, dispatched to the district nazim and other Punjab government officials on June 3, 2006, reads that in Chak 58-Gb 12 quacks have been working since 1990, using instruments meant for animals. Patients are being injected with used syringes which have infected 70 per cent population of the village with hepatitis.

Scores of the people have been refused jobs being medically unfit.

Chak 58-GB is comprised of 1,800 houses with population of 12,000.

The report says one of a dispenser of the state-run dispensary in the village was killed in 1992 by a group of land grabbers. Quacks of the area conspired to get the dispensary closed with the help of land grabbers. The dispensary remained non-functional for about 14 years and resumed working in 2004.

On February 13, 2006, some influential and goons of the area allegedly tortured the dispensary staff, which led to its closure again. Jaranwala police station registered a case but did not take any action against the accused.

Eight quacks running their business in the village are illiterate and they are: Muhammad Yasin, Muhammad Mujahid, Muhammad Ramzan, Muhammad Tariq, Muhammad Amin, Jaffar Ali, Muhammad Zafar and Muhammad Boota. Another Sajid has been working as a vaccinator with a basic health unit while Muhammad Saeed is an office boy with a public office.

The report suggested action against quacks and land grabbers and protection for dispensary staff.

Locals are unhappy over the performance of the dispensary staff and say they also treat patients like quacks of the area.