Purnea, July 19: Around 70 pathological clinics in the town are allegedly illegal. Receiving a tip-off, civil surgeon Ram Charitra Mandal has prepared a list of such pathological and ultra-sound laboratories and is planning to conduct raids on them.

Mandal told The Telegraph: “We have prepared a list of 70 pathological centres operating without proper documents. We have served them notices for producing their certificates for verification. We have come to know that some of these clinics have downed shutters after receiving the notice.”

Mandal added: “It is not possible to conduct raids on 70 clinics at the same time. We are in the process of preparing a list of those clinics that would be raided first. Ten doctors were arrested on July 16 on charges of practising in Purnea town without having genuine degrees and proper documents. Now, the attention should shift to the fake pathological centres.”

Sources said there are more than 250 pathological centres in Purnea town, where tests are conducted regularly.

“Some of these centres are practising without having proper documents and many of them charge exorbitant fee from patients. These centres have hired agents, who persuade patients to visit these private clinics. These agents, who are paid commission, mainly target patients from the rural areas,” a source said.

A source said two doctors — M. Thakur and Sanjay Singh — were treating patients who had health smart cards. A health smart card is given to below poverty line (BPL) families under National Health Insurance Scheme. Under the scheme, the families can get free treatment and health check-ups up to Rs 30,000 every year at private hospitals and nursing homes registered under this scheme.

“It needs to be found out if the doctors are entitled to treat patients having these cards,” the source said.

Mandal said Sanjay is a competent doctor with proper degrees but he used his wife Jyoti Singh as a medic, and her name features in the list of fake doctors.

“It has been alleged that Thakur is into the same practice and has been getting illegal benefits of the cards for which he is not eligible,” Mandal said.

President of Indian Medical Association of Purnea Chapter Dr Prem Chandra Jha said: “More than 70 pathological centres are being run by laboratory technicians. Such laboratories are mushrooming in the state but district administration. Civil surgeon can verify their authenticity.”