KARACHI: The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHC) has chalked out a comprehensive anti-quackery strategy to eradicate the menace from the province, while a task force is also being established to control the malpractices.

This was told in a high-level meeting of the SHC, chaired by its Chief Exe­cutive Officer Dr Minhaj A. Qidwai, at the PMA House here.

The meeting was atten­ded by SHC Chairperson Dr Tipu Sultan, Dr Suleman Otho, focal person of the Sindh health department, representatives of Aga Khan and South City hospitals and other institutions.

Dr Sultan said the SHC was a regulatory body and its major responsibilities were to improve quality of healthcare services and banning quackery in the province of Sindh in all its forms and manifestations.

He said quackery was one the leading causes of increasing mortality and morbidity in Pakistan.

Explaining further, he said the exact number of quackery-related deaths was not known but they were estimated to be in thousands.

He added there was clear evidence that quackery was an increasing problem and the quacks were playing with the lives of people.

Dr Minhaj Qidwai said registration of public and privates hospitals, laboratories, clinics, blood banks and other healthcare establishments was under way.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018