Sambalpur: State health department officials on Thursday raided private pathological laboratories in Burla town, 15km from here, and sealed four that were running without valid licences.

Chief district medical officer Kalyan Kumar Gupta and additional district medical officer Kuber Kumar Mahanta, in presence of magistrate Rashmita Nath, led the raids.

The raids came following allegations that several illegal pathological laboratories were operating near Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research.

"We raided 10 such labs and found that four had no licences and were illegally conducting tests. These labs had not even applied for licences to the government," Gupta said.

It was also alleged that several pathological laboratories in Burla and Sambalpur town function without the supervision of doctors. "Test results vary from one lab to another since many labs employ inexperienced technicians. It is difficult to rely on one test report and take medicines," said Jitendra Raiguru , who came to a lab for a blood examination in Sambalpur town.

Official sources said there are 50 authorised labs and 32 nursing homes in Sambalpur district.

Honour for professor

Sambalpur University will confer retired professor Dasarathi Dash with the Bharat Chandra Nayak Memorial Award. Dash, a professor of the Odia department of Berhampur University, will get the award for his contribution to Odia literature.

Sambalpuri writer Pragya Patnaik will receive the Dr Nilamadhab Panigrahi Memorial Award for her contributions to Sambalpuri literature, according to varsity sources.

The awards will be presented during Gangadhar Meher Jayanti celebrations on August 27, said varsity journal Saptarshi editor Sukamani Meher.

Sambalpur University has been presenting the awards to promote Odia literature.