By Imtiaz Hussain
SUKKUR: The Sindh Healthcare Commission (SHCC), working with the Divisional Administration in Sukkur, has renewed its campaign against illegal medical practice, revealing that more than 12,000 unlicensed clinics, hospitals and quackery centres have been sealed across the province since 2018.
The figures were shared at a stakeholders and public awareness programme held on Tuesday at the deputy commissioner’s office in Sukkur, where officials, health regulators and law enforcement representatives gathered to discuss healthcare standards, patients’ rights, complaint mechanisms and infection prevention and control.
The session was chaired by the commissioner of Sukkur division, Abid Saleem Qureshi, with participation from DIG Sindh Police Sukkur Faisal Abdullah Chachar, SHCC chief executive Dr Ahsan Qavi Siddiqui, director anti-quackery Dr Zubair Somroo, director HR and administration Dr Yaseen Wesar, deputy commissioner Sukkur Nadir Shehzad Khan, SSP Sukkur Azhar Khan Mughal, and officials from the health department, PHI and other relevant institutions.
Addressing the audience, Qureshi said that before the establishment of the Sindh Healthcare Commission there was no effective legal framework to tackle illegal medical practices. He called for firm action against fake treatments, substandard medicines and unqualified practitioners, warning that such practices posed a serious threat to public health.
Poor medical practices, he said, were also contributing to the spread of infectious diseases, including HIV. Referring to a recent World Health Organization report, Qureshi noted a rise in HIV/AIDS cases in Sindh, including in Sukkur. He assured participants that the divisional and district administrations would work in close coordination with SHCC to address the issue.
DIG Faisal Abdullah Chachar said the Sukkur police were fully prepared to support the healthcare regulator and would provide all necessary legal assistance during enforcement operations.
Deputy commissioner Nadir Shehzad Khan echoed the message, saying the district administration would not tolerate illegal medical activity. While acknowledging that HIV/AIDS spreads due to multiple factors, he stressed that unsafe medical practices and poor hygiene remained among the most significant risks and required urgent intervention.
In his briefing, Dr Ahsan Qavi Siddiqui said the commission’s core mandate was to improve the quality of healthcare and eliminate quackery across Sindh. He outlined SHCC’s role in setting standards for healthcare institutions, issuing licences, monitoring service quality, investigating complaints and strengthening clinical governance and patient safety in both public and private sectors.
He told the gathering that from 2018 to 2025, SHCC had sealed 12,048 illegal clinics, hospitals and quackery centres, while 8,399 facilities had been issued warnings. Action against unlicensed practice, he said, would continue as a top priority.
The programme concluded with an appeal for sustained cooperation from all stakeholders in Sukkur. Officials from participating departments pledged their full support to the commission’s efforts to improve healthcare standards and curb illegal medical practices in the region.
