In a recent development, the Karachi East District administration announced decisive action against medical clinics and pharmacies operating without qualified and licensed professionals, violating COVID-19 SOPs, and involved in malpractice pertaining to selling drugs without prescriptions.
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Deputy Commissioner East, Ahmed Ali, was addressing newsgroups after inaugurating the Ehad Medical and Community Pharmacy Services center in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. He said,
District East is one of the most affected districts of Pakistan with respect to COVID-19, not only in Karachi but in [the] entire Pakistan. We have over 37,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported so far while the highest number of deaths have also been reported in this district. In these circumstances, it is pertinent that stringent measures are adopted to control the spread of infectious disease in this district.
Although pharmacies fall under the domain of the health department, Ahmed Ali said dishonest services and malpractice come under the domain of the district administration. He added,
We would take action against pharmacies working without qualified and trained pharmacists, which are not only selling medicines without prescriptions but also violating COVID-19 SOPs and indulged in the practice of quackery.
In response to a question, the Deputy Commissioner maintained that SOPs issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) for marriage halls, public gatherings, and restaurants are being strictly implemented. He added that various awareness activities have been organized to curb the spread of the virus in the next three months.
CEO Ehad Medical Centre, Dr. Babar Saeed Khan, said the new medical center comprises complete programs for community health issues. Health services such as consultation, diagnostics, telehealth services, and community pharmacy have been made available under one roof, said the digital health expert. He added,
It is the only health facility where consultants prescribe generic medicines instead of using the brand names of various drugs. Pharmacists at our community pharmacy help the patient in selecting the best medicine keeping in view their affordability.
Dr. Babar Saeed Khan mentioned that his team is currently working on a platform to enable patients to learn more about their health for taking better care of themselves. He later remarked that five more Ehad Medical Centres, including express satellite centers, will be inaugurated in Karachi within three months.
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Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner for East District Karachi later said that his administration would support all health initiatives to promote ethical medical practices, modern pharmacy services, and most importantly, to provide digital and health services for everyone.
