Drive against illegal clinics, diagnostic centres to intensify

Drive against illegal clinics, diagnostic centres, and hospitals across the country will intensify in the upcoming days, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen said today.

He sought cooperation from deputy commissioners (DCs) during today's conference to conduct operations nationwide through the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Speaking to reporters after addressing the Deputy Commissioners' Conference today, the health minister said, "DGHS teams will fully support the ongoing drives against illegal clinics and diagnostic centers. The ministry lacks magistracy power, unlike the DCs."

"We have informed them that the operation should proceed smoothly without obstruction throughout the year," he said.

Highlighting challenges discussed during the conference, the minister stated, "Deputy commissioners informed us about various limitations in medical services and a manpower crisis. The imbalance between patient numbers and healthcare providers, along with hospitals not allocating funds to patients, disrupts health services. I assured them of my commitment to addressing these issues."

Additionally, Dr Rokeya Sultana, the new state minister for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, affirmed that punitive action will be taken against doctors, nurses, and employees if they are absent during working hours.