KARACHI: More than 300 clinics across Sindh, most of which located in Larkana, have been sealed by the Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC) for being involved in unfair practices putting human lives in danger, officials said on Sunday.

“The crackdown on quacks and blood banks involved in unsafe practices is going on and so far the teams of the commission have sealed 90 clinics and 12 blood banks in Larkana district alone,” said a senior official in the health ministry.

The officials said the SHCC had formed various teams for its field operations to combat quackery in Sindh.

“Special focus is on Larkana district to take immediate actions due to recent rampant cases of HIV in the district,” said an official.

Apart from sealing private health facilities, warnings had been issued to 30 clinics in Larkana, the official added.

In Karachi, four clinics have been sealed this week bringing total number of sealed clinics in the city to 44.

In Hyderabad, seven clinics were sealed and warning was issued to a clinic.

In Mirpurkhas 20 clinics were sealed and in Ghotki five clinics were sealed which were being run by ‘quacks’.

A senior official in the SHCC attended a meeting in Larkana with officials of the health ministry. A spokesperson for the commission said the chief executive officer met officials of the PMA, homeopathy and Tibb as well.

Besides, the SHCC officials said the SHCC directorate of clinical governance and training organised a meeting of the hospital waste management disposal committee to discuss and devise strategy with stakeholders for proper disposal of hospital waste.

The meeting was attended by Dr A. D. Sajnani, managing director, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, Waqar Hussain, director of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and others.

Besides, the commission, said the officials, had received 140 new applications for registration; and certificates had been issued to 77 health facilities this week bringing the total number of registration certificates issued to 4,588.

Meanwhile, a team of the commission conducted inspections of the Fatimid Foundation and the Dow Dental College.

“Provisional licences have been issued to Taj Medical Complex Hamdard University Hospital, Begum Akhtar Rukhsana Memorial Trust Hospital, Saifee Hospital Trust and Dr Ziauddin Hospital this week,” said an official.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2019