BALASORE: At a time when concerns are being raised on the quality of healthcare in the State, it has come to fore that as many as 40 private hospitals in the district are functioning without a licence. Replying to a query by Balasore MLA Madan Mohan Dutta in the Assembly, Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das said out of 41 private hospitals in the district, 40 are functioning without a licence.
The MLA demanded appropriate action against such hospitals and also sought to know why their licences were not renewed in the last five years.
As per official data, several private hospital in the district also do not possess the mandatory fire safety certificate. Partha Pritam Das, a local said such hospitals are running right under the nose of the district administration.
Several of them neither have registration nor qualified doctors or paramedical staff, he said. However, Dr Suresh Khandelwal, a private hospital owner said that he had applied for renewal of the licence at least four times with the authorities concerned since 2016 but in vain. “The district administration has inspected my hospital four times in the last four years. We comply with the mandatory fire and safety measures and possess the required documents but still no licence has been issued to us,” he rued.
Another private hospital owner Dr Rashmikanta Jatania said he too has been applying for renewal of licence but to no avail. He said his hospital complies with all directives of the Fire Services department. CDMO, Balasore Dr Banarjee Prasad Chhotray said, “We had formed a team to check mandatory documents, infrastructure, fire safety measures and other norms of all the private hospitals and nursing homes across the district. The team has already inspected the hospitals. After finding some lacunae, we have asked a few such hospitals to comply with the norms. After getting the required documents, we will send a report to the Collector who is the final authority to issue licence to private hospitals.”
Licence woes
Even as official data reveals several private hospitals are running without licence, their owners allege they have been applying for renewal in vain It is alleged several such hospitals do not have registration or qualified staff