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Time of India

22 illegal medical facilities sealed in Pilibhit since Jan

Pilibhit: The district medical and health department took legal action against 22 illegal medical facilities, including clinics, hospitals, diagnostic centres, and pathology labs, from Jan 1 to May 23 this year. All the facilities were sealed, but only seven cases were forwarded to the police for lodging FIRs. In a recent incident, a diagnostic centre operating in Amaria tehsil was shut down. It was being run under the name Safiya Hospital & Diagnostic Centre by Dr Mohammad Umar, who was found to be using a fraudulent MD (Radiology) degree allegedly issued by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, Haryana. His registration with Uttar Pradesh Medical Council was also found to be fake during verification. Ironically, most of these actions were taken following public complaints, indicating a serious lapse in proactive surveillance by the health department. Although state norms require thorough verification of all medical credentials at the time of registration with the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) office, these protocols are rarely followed in practice due to systemic inefficiencies and lack of cooperation from medical universities. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo "We sought verification of medical degrees in over a dozen cases before issuing registration certificates. However, many universities across states were reluctant to respond, and some demanded high verification fees, which we have no official provision to pay," said CMO Dr Alok Kumar. He added, "In the case of Dr Mohammad Umar, timely cooperation from Rohtak-based PGI allowed us to take swift action." Official records reveal that of the 22 illegal facilities identified, seven were located in Puranpur tehsil area. These included three clinics, two hospitals, one pathology lab, and even a quack-run clinic operating from a grocery store. Five more clinics run by quacks were sealed in Bilsanda block and four in Marauri block. Additionally, legal action was taken against an unlicensed medical store on Jan 17. In the Barkhera block, authorities sealed an X-ray unit operated by a BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) doctor without a licensed radiologist, a fake dental clinic, and another illegal medical facility run by a quack. A licensed clinic was also penalised for selling govt-supplied medicines meant for public hospitals. On the limited number of FIRs, the CMO said, "Medical officers at primary and community health centres have been directed to file FIRs in all cases involving fraud. However, they often avoid the process due to the lengthy court procedures and the continuation of cases even after their transfer from the district."