SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 23: State health department has ordered the closure of a clinic in Ghatotand of Mandu block in Ramgarh district and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 for violation of the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA) 2013.
The state health department has issued a notice in this regard to the house owner of the health clinic Vishwajit Kumar Roy saying that since the clinic was found without a registered doctor and an unregistered health centre, it is a violation of Section 41, sub-section (1) of Clinical Establishment Act-2013.
“So, close the clinic with immediate effect and pay the fine of Rs 50,000 for illegally running the health centre,” said the notice.
The letter was issued on June 18 but the owner of the clinic told media persons that he has yet to receive the notice.
A senior officer of the state health department said that action has been taken against Ghato Mandu health clinic based on the probe report of Ramgarh Civil Surgeon Dr Prabhat Kumar.
On the directive of the state health department, Ramgarh civil surgeon Dr Prabhat Kumar on April 27, 2022, inspected a clinic in Ghato Mandu Market and found doctors lacked a proper degree in treating patients and the health centre was not registered under Clinical Establishment Act. He submitted the report to the state headquarters the next day April 28, 2022.
The health department, besides closing the health centre, has also asked the clinic operator to deposit a monitory fine of Rs 50,000 within a week of receiving the notice. The health department has also warned the health centre that since the doctor has no proper degree of MBBS, an FIR would be lodged if any patient is found being treated.
A senior doctor of the health department pointed out that Ramgarh is a small district but more than 45 to 50 private nursing homes are functioning here. Most of them have doctors without a proper degree and play with the life of rural and poor patients in the name of cheap treatment.
“Such actions of the state health department would help in curbing the practice of illegal health centres and practice of quacks,” said the senior doctor of the health department.
