Gunupur: Gunupur Sub-Collector Dudhal Abhishek Dilip Thursday conducted raids on several clinics and pathology labs operating illegally in Gunupur town of Rayagada district. During the inspection, the sub-collector ordered sealing of several unlicensed clinics and directed Gunupur Model PS officials to initiate legal action against their owners. He also wrote to the Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM & PHO) of Rayagada to send an expert team to verify the documents of all such unregistered clinics and laboratories in the area.
According to reports, several unauthorised practitioners or quacks had been running clinics across Gunupur and exploiting patients financially under the garb of treatment. Complaints of malpractice and life-threatening negligence had reached the administration, prompting Thursday’s crackdown.
The sub-collector, accompanied by police, raided multiple clinics and laboratories, including MM Medics Clinic, Amulya Bharat, Joseph Sabar, Ananta Das, Amma Clinic, and Radhika Doctors’ Chamber at Old Gunupur, Bypass Road, Old Bus Stand, and near Girl’s High School Square. He found patients lying on cots and undergoing treatment at these facilities and directed the SDMO to immediately shift them to Gunupur Government Hospital.
All identified illegal clinics were sealed and similar raids would continue across the subdivision, he said. The administrative action has sent shockwaves among the unlicensed medical operators. Meanwhile, locals have questioned why the health department failed to act for years despite numerous illegal clinics operating openly. Local intelligentsia demanded a high-level inquiry to identify and regulate all clinics in the town. The sub-collector’s initiative has been widely appreciated by citizens and social groups.
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