PRIVATE HOSPITALS ARE RUNNING WITHOUT REGISTRATION LIFE OF PATIENTS IS AT STAKE NO ACTION SO FAR AGAINST THEM

PRIVATE HOSPITALS ARE RUNNING WITHOUT REGISTRATION

LIFE OF PATIENTS IS AT STAKE

NO ACTION SO FAR AGAINST THEM

5-SEP-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------Private hospitals, pathology and ultrasound centres are running at different places in Bhojpur district with impunity without registration challenging the government and the local administration and also ignoring the instructions and rules of the government but no action is being taken against the recalcitrant operators, owners and directors of these unregistered centres. Thus the morale of the illegal business is high. The businessmen are continuously leaving no stone unturned to cheat and exploit the poor labours and hapless patients. The district administration and the hospital administration allegedly have given a free hand to loot the patients.

In Bhojpur district 119 pathologies, private clinics, private hospitals, Ayurvedic clinics, homeopathic clinics etc. have been registered in Ara Sadar Hospital out of  which registration of nine have not been renewed yet, despite action is not being taken against them by the Ara Sadar Hospital administration and also the Bhojpur District administration.

There is a provision for registration of private pathologies, private clinics, private hospitals, ultrasound centres for one year to five years, however, the generally the Ara Sadar Hospital allow registration for one year and that too a provisional registration. The government has fixed a fee for the registration of such an institution although this fee is very low. Yet the operators or owners or directors are not registering their centres. Rs. 200 per year for the registration of pathology centre. Rs. 100 to Rs. 1200 per annum for private hospitals subject to the availability of beds.

More than 2000 pathologies, private hospitals, private clinics, ultrasound, X-ray, Citi Scan centres, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic clinics are being run in rural and urban areas in Bhojpur district including 300 at Ara, headquarters of Bhojpur district without registration but no action is being taken against them.  The owners or directors or operators of these centres are doing rousing business at the cost of lives of poor and hapless patients and also exploiting them financially. Due to their not being up to standard, the patients’ lives remain in danger.

Besides, the government is at a great revenue loss due to these illegal and unregistered health centres. Lakhs of rupees of revenue is being gnawed at every year while these health centres are being operated right under the nose of the Ara Sadar Hospital administration and Bhojpur district administration.

According to the criteria set by the government regarding registration for private hospital operation, it is mandatory to have a doctor along with arrangement of nurse, compounder, bed and cleanliness is necessary but several such private hospitals are being run where is no doctor and the patients are exploited only through untrained nurses and compounders. Due to this, their lives remain at stake. These operators hired touts even in remote rural areas who bring poor and illiterate patients by persuasion and huge amount is collected from them.

Civil Surgeon, Ara Sadar Hospital, Dr Suresh Prasad Singh said that he will investigate and inquire into the running of illegal and unregistered health centres  and strict action will be taken against those operating health services without registration. However, said he that many times during investigation, a very piquant situation is created by the operaters.