NAWABSHAH, March 29: Hundreds of quacks, including compounders and medical assistants, are practising freely in the district thus increasing the ratio of dangerous diseases such as hepatitis, information amassed by this correspondent revealed.

Villagers said quacks were directly responsible for the rapid spread of hepatitis and other dangerous diseases as they did not use disposable syringes besides indulging in other unethical practices.

Peoples Medical College Hospital associate professor of medicine Dr Shams Shaikh and assistant professor Dr Saleem Faiz said many of the quacks were practising in the city and added that by using the same syringe for several patients, they were boosting the transfer of diseases.

When contacted, EDO (health) Dr Hajan Shah said the health department had collected details of the some 1,000 quacks in the district and sent a report to the district Nazim, DCO and other authorities concerned.

When asked whether the Sindh Local Government Ordinance allowed the officials concerned to take any action, Dr Shah said they were helpless as they could lodge FIRs at the most.

He said whenever they planned to take any action, the office staff informed the quacks beforehand, moreover, they had to face a strong political pressure. As far as action against medical stores selling substandard syringes was concerned, he said there was a big drug mafia that was difficult for the department to confront.