quacks

• He said wrong perception created against regulatory body.
• CEO SHCC said quacks should be considered as criminals.
• He said joint strategy needed to eradicate menace of quackery.

KARACHI: Sindh Health Care Commission (SHCC) is fully functional and continuing its activities in accordance with the law and regulations, these points were discussed by Dr. Ahson Qavi Siddiqi, CEO of SHCC during the meeting with delegations of healthcare providers.

Over the past year, certain influences have created a perception that the SHCC has been inactive due to the absence of the Board of Commissioners (BoC). It’s important to clarify that the SHCC operates as an independent legal entity in accordance with the SHCC Act and Regulations. Under the SHCC Act, the Board of Commissioners primarily holds a supervisory role concerning strategic policies and guidance.

In contrast, operational activities are managed by the CEO, supported by a team of seven Directors and other members. However, he emphasized that timely notification of Board is crucial to address the evolving policy matters at the Commission.

Dr. Siddiqi highlighted the significance of distinguishing between qualified medical professionals and unauthorized practitioners. He emphasized that all operations teams have been instructed to treat qualified doctors with the dignity they deserve and facilitate them to overcome the deficiencies if any while quacks should be considered as criminals and be dealt with stern actions with the support of Law Enforcement Agencies.

Dr. Siddiqi underscored that individuals acting as team of Commission with fake identity are operating in the whole province, unnecessarily harassing the legitimate doctors. In this regard, some impersonators have already been identified and legal action is under process against them.

Moreover, he said that to counter this, the Commission has distributed bar coded identity cards to its employees. This initiative would enable the practitioners the ability to verify the authenticity of team members by checking their ID cards and confirming their legal authorization by scanning with their cell phones.

The issue of quackery, which has persisted for seventy-five years, was discussed as a substantial challenge. Dr. Siddiqi likened these unauthorized practitioners to societal mafias, exploiting the vulnerability of patients. He cautioned against relying solely on sealing and closing down fraudulent outlets as the only solution to overcome the criminal activities of quackery.

Dr. Siddiqi proposed a multi-faceted approach, including the provision of quality healthcare at government facilities, overcoming poverty, and media support for raising awareness among patients to boycott these fraudulent healers.

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