The South Dinajpur district health department has ordered the closure of Matri Sadan, the maternity hospital run by the Balurghat municipality, as its licence under the Clinical Establishment Act has not been renewed for two years.
The hospital has been directed to shift all patients and cease operations within seven days.
According to official sources, the hospital’s clinical establishment licence expired in 2024. While the municipality is required to renew the licence every year, it failed to do so over the past two years.
“The renewal process was held up because the hospital could not obtain the necessary fire safety clearance. The health department had issued multiple notices directing the municipality to complete the licence renewal process. However, with the required approvals still pending, the department has now ordered the hospital to shut down,” said a source.
The decision has sparked criticism of the municipality’s handling of the matter.
The maternity hospital is a three-storey facility with 30 beds, primarily catering to pregnant women, new mothers and newborns.
It serves residents from Balurghat town as well as surrounding areas and employs around 45 permanent and contractual staff. It is supported by specialists and visiting doctors.
At present, eight pregnant women are admitted to the facility. “Our patient is admitted to this hospital. If it closes, where will we take our patient? Why will we suffer because of the authorities’ negligence?” said Swapan Malakar, a patient’s relative.
The closure order has created uncertainty among hospital employees, who fear losing their jobs if the hospital remains shut.
Municipal sources said the civic body has written to the district authorities seeking additional time to renew the licence.
Surajit Saha, chairman of the Trinamool-run civic body, acknowledged the delay and admitted that the licence could not be renewed because fire safety approval had
not been obtained.
“It is true that we could not renew the licence for the past two years. We repeatedly submitted documents for approval of the fire department, but they were returned each time due to technical shortcomings. Hence, we could not complete the renewal process,” he said.
“We have received a notice from the district health department and have written to the chief medical officer of health, seeking some more time to complete the renewal. If permission is not granted, we will comply with whatever directions are issued,” Saha added.
Officials of the district health department denied commenting on the issue. “The civic body should have met the shortcomings to obtain the fire licence. How can they run a medical facility without a licence under the Clinical Establishment Act?” said a source.