Private clinics using names of noted consultants to mint money

LAHORE: Some private clinics both in urban and rural areas of the province are minting money by displaying the names of noted professors as visiting consultants at their clinics. According to details, a large number of private clinics is duping people, particularly in Lahore suburbs, saying senior professors and medical specialists are visiting consultants at their clinics. The names of these consultants are being used to lure patients who have no access to city hospitals. Chaudhry Muhammad Muzammil from Muridke, who had taken his son to Mayo Hospital after he developed complications at a private clinic in Gujranwala, said private clinics in small towns display names of noted physicians as their visiting consultants, but they never visit these clinics. Tanveer Abbasi from Sheikhupura said that one of his cousins was admitted to a private clinic for an operation, which was conducted by a general surgeon. The patient woke up during the operation, which resulted in complications. The patient was later taken to Services Hospital for treatment. In Lahore, a mushroom growth of such clinics can be seen, especially in northern part of the city, where the names of noted cardiologists, physicians and urologists are being displayed as visiting consultants. Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed said that the Health Department had received numerous complaints in this regard. He said the department would soon launch a crackdown on all clinics where non-qualified people were playing with the lives of people. Prof Mumtaz Hassan, Mayo Hospital chief executive and the King Edward Medical College principal, demanded strict action against all such private clinics. app

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