Shock in Pakistan as over 6 lakh ‘fake doctors’ treat patients

Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): The medical system in Pakistan's villages and towns has completely collapsed, and in the name of treatment, a dangerous game is being played with people's lives. Thousands of people, without degrees, without licenses, and without any oversight, are treating patients by claiming to be doctors. Poor and uneducated families are bearing the brunt of this crisis. Due to lack of proper treatment, problems like death, permanent disability, and subsequent high costs in major hospitals have become common.

Shops of death are running on the roadside

Small roadside clinics have mushroomed in the southern Sindh province, especially in the areas surrounding Hyderabad. These shops have no signboards or doctors' registration numbers, yet they are crowded with children, women, and the elderly throughout the day. Investigations have revealed that most of these clinics are run by people who have only worked as assistants or nurses in hospitals, but do not possess any legal qualifications or degrees to practice medicine.

6 lakh fake doctors and the risk of infection

Data from the Pakistan Medical Association and the Sindh Healthcare Commission has revealed the severity of the situation. Estimates indicate that over 600,000 fake doctors are currently operating across the country. These doctors prescribe medications based on their limited experience, without understanding the potential side effects. Health experts have warned that medical equipment in these illegal clinics is not sterilized, and in many cases, syringes are being reused. This gross negligence is rapidly increasing the risk of infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV in Pakistan.

Burden on government hospitals and helpless law

The mismanaged treatments employed by these "quack" doctors are directly impacting the country's major government hospitals. When patients' conditions deteriorate, they turn to government hospitals at the last minute, further straining their limited resources. Meanwhile, health regulatory bodies are expressing their helplessness. Due to a lack of resources and weak laws, even if an illegal clinic is shut down, the accused are easily released on bail and reopen the next day. In many areas, inspection teams even face security threats.