2 months after sealing them, health authorities allow 2 laboratories in Kupwara to ‘complete formalities’ for reopening
Rehan Showkat
Kupwara: More than two months after sealing two laboratories in Kupwara district for operating without any authorization and lacking facilities, the health authorities have allowed them to complete “requisite formalities” for their reopening.
The people have questioned the decision of authorities, contending that why FIR was not registered against them for playing with the health of people and for giving let go to the established rules for a decade.
“They should have been proceeded with under criminal charges instead of allowing them to resume. They played with the lives of people and how can they go scot free for what they have done earlier,” said a local.
The health department sealed the two clinic laboratories in Vilgam area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district in December last year and yesterday both the labs were unsealed by the health authorities.
Sources told that in December last year, the then Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kupwara had carried out a raid following multiple complaints about the two labs running without registration and other proper documents. The labs SK and RK located on hospital road in Vilgam, according to sources and also confirmed by the officials, were running without proper equipments and lacked other facilities as are prerequisite for the purpose.
During the raid, the then CMO seized both the labs but did not file criminal cases against the lab owners.
The locals said they had urged the then CMO to register the criminal case against the lab owners for illegally conducting blood and other examinations. “They played with thousands of lives. Who knows what patients had undergone as doctors advice on test reports,” the locals said.
Kashmir Glory quoted , In-charge Chief Medical Officer Kupwara, Dr Abdul Gani Dar told as saying that the owners of these two labs had made a plea to Director Health Services Kashmir and CMO for completing requisite formalities.
“They lack facilities. They have no tiling and other things required besides they have to complete other formalities,” he said. They gave an affidavit, stating therein that they will complete all the formalities within 15 days, he said.
“They have been asked to carry repairs of open counters, marbling, have separate room, bath room etc,” he said.
Yesterday, he said, a team of doctors carried out an inspection in both the labs. “They have to satisfy all deficiencies and till then they will not be allowed to resume operation,” he said, adding, “There will be a fresh survey by team of doctors to see if they have completed all the prerequisites after 15 days.”
Asked why a case was not registered against them, he said; “Yes a case should have been registered against them for running the labs for ten years.” He also dodged a query as to why he cannot order registering of case against the owners of these labs who are also reportedly said to be the government employees and enjoying lot of political leverage reported Kashmir Glory.
