HC seeks action taken report against illegal clinics in Bihar

Patna: Bemused over the unregistered private clinics being run by commonly known ‘Jhola chhap doctors’ in Bihar, the Patna high court on Thursday sought an action taken report (ATR) from the state health department against them.

A single bench of Justice Sandeep Kumar, while hearing a plea for anticipatory bail filed on behalf of one Santosh Thakur alias Devendra Thakur, directed the state government to file district-wise ATR against such clinics being run without registration under the clinical establishment laws and how many such rogue clinics were operating in the state.

Public prosecutor Jharkhandi Upadhyay sought more time to furnish the data, which the court permitted.

“The court cannot shut its eyes on such clinical establishments run by jhola chaap doctors. The state has a duty to regulate the nursing homes/private hospitals through the clinical establishments laws, which control and regulate proper functioning of private nursing homes and other clinical establishments in the state. However, the court comes across cases where unregistered clinical establishments are functioning without any control from the government,” The bench remarked.

The petitioners being owners of a private nursing home had allegedly employed unauthorised medical practitioners, whose surgery performed on a lady had taken away her life.