Health body likely to issue new advisory to pvt hosps

Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) may soon issue a written advisory to all the private hospitals in the state asking them to ensure that no loan company or any other agency can operate from the hospital.

The WBCERC Chairman Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee held a meeting on Thursday to consider a case where a private hospital has been accused of accommodating a loan company on its premises.

Justice Banerjee said that small and medium-level private hospitals can allow a diagnostic centre or pharmacy to operate in its premises for the interest of the patients but they can never operate a loan company so that they can lend money to the patients if required.

The Commission will also ask the police to keep a strict vigil on the hospitals.

The WBCERC on Wednesday reserved its judgment in connection with an unprecedented case in which a private hospital near Dhapa ground was found to have accommodated a private loan company within its premises that lend out money to the patients when required. WBCERC is likely to take stringent steps against the hospital whose identity is yet to be divulged by the commission. Commission’s Chairman Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee said that they will divulge the name of the private hospital when the commission will deliver the final verdict.