SIRAHA, DECEMBER 5
Unauthorised hospitals and polyclinics are opening up thick and fast in Siraha, apparently in collusion with regulatory bodies.
Hundreds of hospitals, clinics, medical labs and pharmacies not meeting the standard criteria have opened up and are operating in places such as Lahan, Dhangadimai, Gol Bazaar, Mirchaiya and Siraha district headquarters, thanks to the apathy of regulatory bodies.
According to Lahan Municipality's Health Department Chief Jagadish Mandal, only four hospitals and six clinics are operating with government permission in the municipality now.
In fact, Mandal himself is said to be running an unauthorised clinic. A health worker, on condition of anonymity, said Mandal Clinic in Lahan-8 is being operated by the health department Chief Mandal.
"Honestly, regulatory bodies themselves are complicit as they are allowing illegal clinics and hospitals to operate without permission by taking some commission," he said.
Around three dozen unauthorised hospitals and clinics are also in operation in the main bazaar area and elsewhere across Gol Bazaar.
Such unauthorised health facilities are mostly seen in wards 4, 6, 7 and 8, with local representatives and staff of the health department turning a blind eye to the malpractices.
While some are simply operating without mandatory official permission, others are operating by flouting the standard criteria.
Gol Bazaar Municipality's Health Department has acknowledged that new clinics have opened up in the local level, but attributed lack of monitoring to the busy election time. It further informed that the department was planning to soon start monitoring and regulating the newly-operated health facilities. Though the Public Health Service Regulation envisions annual renewal, many have not renewed their businesses here.
Interestingly, the operators of the clinics and hospitals operating legally until earlier have accused that renewal of their businesses couldn't happen as they didn't oblige the corrupt officials at the municipality with commission.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 6, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
