Questions on health department’s seal opened again within 24 hours of action, market of discussions heated up due to opening of seal pathology centre.

Santosh Kumar Gupta (Correspondent)

Bijpur/Sonbhadra-

The action of the Health Department against illegally operating health institutions is now under question. Allegations of re-operation of a pathology collection center near Shriram Chowk in Bijpur market have come to light just a day after it was sealed by the health department. The matter has become a topic of discussion in the area and has also raised questions on the effectiveness of departmental action.

It is said that on Wednesday, Superintendent of Community Health Center Mayorpur, Dr. P.N. Under the leadership of Singh, the Health Department team, on the instructions of the District Magistrate and the Chief Medical Officer, had sealed a pathology collection centre, a homeopathic clinic and another clinic. The department had described it as action taken against illegally run health institutions.

But local people allege that as soon as the team returned, the lock of the concerned pathology center was broken and operations were started again. The villagers also claim that the concerned operator has been running pathology under different names in the past also. If these allegations are found to be true, it will not only be a serious disregard for departmental action but will also raise big questions on law and order.

The villagers have demanded an impartial investigation into the entire matter from the administration and the health department and strict legal action against the culprits. People say that if the sealed institutions start operating easily again, then the campaign being run against illegal health institutions will lose its credibility.

An attempt was made to know the stand of Chief Medical Officer, Sonbhadra in this regard, but his official statement could not be received till the time of writing the news. If any clarification or response is received from the department, it will also be published prominently.