Malpractice: 16 illegal diagnostic centres, one nursing home sealed
Malda: The district surveillance team of Malda raided and closed 16 illegal diagnostic centres and one nursing home in the past 3 months. These private health service providers have been running their practice almost without any valid paper mandatory for such facilities.
These facilities are found in English Bazar Kaliachak I and II. Not only closure, these centres and nursing homes are also slapped with a penalty. The amount of the fine is yet to be calculated by the district administration. There are other centres also to be visited by the team.
Such malpractices are on a surge in the district and so the activity of the surveillance team has also been on the top gear. Regular visits every week are being conducted to regularise the health service providers.
The nursing home in English Bazar which was sealed on Tuesday was practicing illegal abortions. This prompted the administration to close it permanently. The nursing home authorities have been given two days time to shift their admitted patients, for a physical sealing on Thursday. In the case of the other diagnostic centers, untrained workers have also been found to be working, adding to the lack of required permissions.
Nitin Singhania, District Magistrate Malda, said: “We are taking a strict stance to eradicate such malpractices related to the health of the people. Private health service providers are under our scanner and to educate them we are also organising a workshop
very shortly.”
To set up such a facility, the Clinical Establishment (CE) license is necessary but before that permission from both the Fire department and Pollution Control Board are also needed. Further, a tie up to be established by the centre with a biomedical waste disposal agency and a trade license to be made from municipality
or panchayat.
Sudipta Bhaduri, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), said: “Without CE license such facilities are being opened in Malda. Rather, for the strict attitude of the surveillance team in the district we can see so many on the net.”
