Assam to crack whip on illegal nursing homes and labs

Guwahati, Mar 23: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma today informed that a major crackdown against illegal nursing homes and laboratories will be launched in the next two months. He said the list of unlicensed nursing homes and laboratories in the state up to last year has been compiled and an offensive against these would be launched in April and May.

Dr Sharma informed that unlicensed and illegal laboratories ran into hundreds, while over 50 nursing homes were found to floating rules in the state.

''Two nursing homes in Dibrugarh and one in Dhemaji have already been shut down,'' he pointed.

He stressed on the need to improve government-run health services before cracking the whip on the erring private institutions.

''The government health service is on the right path now and hence, we are encouraged to take against the illegal health service providers as we have the infrastructure to meet the patients' requirement,'' Dr Sharma said.

He also urged the public to approach the local police wherever they found any discrepancy in nursing homes, laboratories or medical practitioners.

''The law will deal firmly with those found erring if the people bring it to our notice,'' he added.

UNI