LAHORE: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has ordered criminal proceedings against three quacks and closure of their businesses besides imposing Rs1m fine on them.

A spokesperson for the PHC said on Thursday that one Banaras Husain had filed a complaint with the commission that he had taken his two children — Laiba (13) and Haider Ali (16) — to the Life Care Clinical Laboratory run by Nisar Ahmed at Harpuki village of Gujranwala. However, the condition of his both children deteriorated after the treatment and they had to be shifted to another hospital.

After investigating into the case, the PHC imposed a fine of Rs200,000, stopped the set-up from working and directed the authorities concerned to initiate criminal proceedings against Nisar.

Ghulam Abbas of Kot Momin complained that he had taken his pregnant sister to the Fatima Trust Hospital in Sargodha where midwife Fatima operated upon her. However, his sister died due to excessive bleeding.

The commission sealed the hospital, imposed Rs500,000 fine on it and directed the local authorities to register a case.

Muhammad Amjad took his mother to the Badar Clinic of Boya Aasal, Pattoki, where quack Tahir Tajammul initially prescribed her medicines for 15 days but afterwards operated upon her without consent.

Upon worsening the patient’s condition, she was moved to the Lahore General Hospital.

Investigations by the commission revealed that Tajammul was a dispenser and his treatment had complicated the ailment further. The commission imposed Rs300,000 fine on him and directed the authorities to initiate criminal proceedings against him.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2017