KARACHI, Jan 17: The Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi branch, will start a three-day campaign against quackery from Jan 24.

This was announced by the PMA general-secretary, Dr Habib-ur- Rahman Soomro, at a press conference here on Thursday. Flanked by Dr Aziz Khan Tank, chairman of the PMA anti-quackery committee, and Dr Qavi Hashmi, Dr Soomro noted that despite being a regulatory body the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had failed to discharge its responsibilities, particularly as far as quackery was concerned.

He announced that during the anti-quackery drive, which would come to an end on Jan 27, the PMA would hold a posters exhibition, seminars and symposiums.

He said at a time when no fewer than 90,000 qualified doctors were out of work, the government was not doing well by turning a blind eye to rampant quackery.

He said a quack was defined as a person who had not studied medicine and surgery and practising either of the two or both. He said the PMA was not against homeopathy or traditional medicine.

“The PMA urges the government to streamline homeopathy teaching,” he said.

Dr Tank said that students seeking admission to medical colleges must make a distinction between those colleges which were affiliated with foreign universities and those whose degrees were recognized by foreign universities. “Those colleges which are affiliated with foreign universities may not necessarily issue degrees which are recognized by foreign universities.”

He observed that Pakistan was the only country where drugs could be had at a pharmacy without showing a prescription.

He recalled that according to a study conducted six years ago, there had been 46,000 quacks in Karachi.