KATHMANDU, Nov 18: The monitoring panels deployed from the Ministry of Health have sealed 37 clinics in the Kathmandu Valley in the past five days. The clinics were found violating the rules related to setting up, operation and upgrade, officials said.
According to the ministry, the clinics had been warned repeatedly in the past against violating the rules. The minsitry had deployed two monitoring teams that included ministry officials and police and they had randomly inspected the clinics in Kathmandu and Lalitpur.
10 clinics, pharmacies sealed in Valley on Thursday
On Friday alone, the monitoring teams sealed five clinics in Kathmandu Valley and two in Lalitpur district.
According to the Personal Secretariat of Minister for Health, the panels had raided 32 private clinics and pharmacies, 20 in Kathmandu and 12 in Lalitpur. Of them the sealed clinics located in Kalimati-Kalanki road section are Subhaarambha Dental Clinic, Hak Medical Hall, Spark Poly Clinic, Kalimati Dental Clinic and City Valley Dental Clinic. Those sealed in Gwarko of Lalitpur are Kankaali Medical Hall and Niranjan Dental Clinic and Lab.
Dr Ram Raj Panthi, the monitoring coordinator, said, the operators of the sealed clinics have been ordered to appear before the District Public Health Offices. He informed that the proprietor of Raj Bhandari Dental Clinic managed to escape after getting information about the raids in advance. Panthi said that they will track him down and take legal action against him. Some clinics, which have not renewed their operating licenses, have been given a few more days to renew their licenses, Panthi informed.
The ministry has begun inspection in the other districts also. Officials said they will continue the inspections for two weeks in the first phase. The ministry has also urged the general public to inform the authorities immediately if any clinic or health institution is found violating the rules.
