Patna, Aug. 9: Illegal nursing homes in the capital can breathe easy, albeit, for a while as the civil surgeon office does not have a list of the private nursing homes.

The police had announced to launch a drive against illegal private nursing homes but now it is likely that the operation would be delayed.

However, in a bid to shake things up, a reminder letter has been sent to the civil surgeon today by the Patna police headquarters.

“The police had asked the civil surgeon of Patna district to provide a list of the legal private nursing homes in the capital. On the basis of the same, the police can identify those operating illegally and action can be initiated against them. The request was sent early last month but there have been no reply till date. The police will be sending them a reminder now,” Shivdeep Lande, city superintendent of police, Patna Central, told The Telegraph today.

However, sources said the list regarding the private nursing homes was not available with the civil surgeon. “The list was never maintained. Hence, it is quite difficult to provide the same to the police,” an official said on the condition of anonymity. The need for a check on mushrooming private nursing homes became important after the incident on July 7 when a 20-year-old girl, who had gone for a secret abortion to a private nursing home, was thrown out after the surgery went wrong.

The girl fell unconscious on the street until her father arrived and took her to a hospital where the doctors declared her brought dead.

She had gone to the Buddha Burn Hospital and Nursing Home, located at the Makhaniya Kuan locality of Patna, for the abortion.

The nursing home is owned by one Renu Chaudhary while one Vidyapati Chaudhary is said to be its director. “Both of them are absconding and the police are looking for them,” a police officer said.

After the girl’s father recovered her, he took her to another private nursing home but she was denied admission.

“There are many private nursing homes operating in the state capital at present. It a fact that most of them are just money minting outlets with no arrangements for quality treatment. Most of them have got their agents posted near the hospitals like Patna Medical College and Hospital and Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and their job is to lure patients and bring them to these nursing homes. They are badly maintained and charge exorbitant amounts from the patients,” another police officer said.