PHC seals 646 illegal treatment centres

LAHORE: The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) said it sealed 646 illegal treatment centres across the province during June as part of its ongoing campaign against quackery.

Enforcement teams from the PHC’s Anti-Quackery Department carried out 2,837 visits to healthcare establishments during the month. Lahore recorded the highest level of activity, with 457 inspections and 142 illegal outlets shut down for operating without qualified professionals.

In Faisalabad, PHC teams conducted 123 visits and sealed 32 illegal centres, while Sargodha saw 165 inspections and 17 closures. Rajanpur recorded 144 visits and 27 sealings. In Kasur, 96 facilities were inspected and 43 quack outlets were closed, while Gujranwala registered 101 visits and 23 sealings.

Other districts where enforcement action was reported included Multan, where 99 visits led to seven sealings; Bahawalpur, with 87 visits and 11 closures; Muzaffargarh, with 85 visits and 14 closures; Vehari, with 82 visits and 12 closures; Pakpattan, with 70 visits and 21 closures; and Sialkot, with 113 visits and 23 sealings.

The PHC data also showed that the campaign extended beyond major cities. Districts including Attock, Bahawalnagar, Bhakkar, Chiniot and Jhang recorded repeated inspections and multiple closures, indicating that the anti-quackery drive was also continuing in semi-urban and rural areas.

Besides the 646 illegal centres sealed in June, enforcement teams documented 148 premises where quackery-related businesses were no longer found, had shifted elsewhere or had been converted into other kinds of businesses following earlier action. The commission also said 1,865 healthcare establishments, where qualified medical practitioners were present at the time of inspection, had been placed under surveillance to ensure legal and safe medical practice continues.

Since the campaign began, PHC field teams have conducted 252,186 visits, sealed more than 72,700 illegal outlets and pushed around 32,000 unqualified practitioners to stop unsafe practices. The commission added that more than 45,500 establishments have been placed under surveillance.