Bhubaneswar, Dec. 16: A private nursing home in Khurda town was sealed yesterday following a raid by the district administration.

The state health department website shows that the nursing home has been running without a valid licence since 2008. This is not an isolated case. Around 1,082 clinics and hospitals in the state are running without valid papers. Out of these, 220 are situated in Cuttack while 87 are in Bhubaneswar.

They continue to remain in business despite warnings by the Directorate of Medical and Educational Training.

Sources said that out of the 1,265 clinics and hospitals operating in the state, only 173 possessed valid licenses while the status of 10 of these establishments was yet to be verified.

Most of these organisations continue to be in business despite the expiry of their licences long ago. In certain cases, the licences have been cancelled. Most of these have been categorised as “not valid” as they failed to fulfil the parameters set by the state government under the Orissa Clinical Establishments (Control and Regulation) Act, 1990.

The act says that every clinic and hospital should comply with the requirements in relation to location, accommodation, equipment and instruments and personnel.

The directorate has given order to the collectors of various districts to seal those clinical establishments who do not have licences.

“Following a high court order in September this year, we have instructed the chief district medical officers of various districts to carry out inspections of these clinics. We also have instructed the district collectors to take actions on the violators,” said P. K. Dash, director of medical educations and training.

Referring to the raid at the Khurda clinic, chief district medical officer Kamalinee Mohapatra said during the raid they found there were no doctors in the clinic.

The directorate officials informed that as most of these clinical establishments were not obeying the instructions issued by the department, recently the district administration had been asked to take steps against them.

“As the number of such violators is high, we are slowly acting against them. Otherwise there would be panic among patients. We hope that after such raids, other violators will soon renew their licences and follow the requirements mentioned in the act,” said the director.

Sources said that while establishments with five to nine beds are supposed to pay Rs 5,000 as registration fee, those having 10 to 14 beds have to pay Rs 6,000, and the ones with 15 to 24 beds have to pay Rs 8,000. Nursing homes with 25 or more beds are required to pay Rs 10,000.

While renewing the licences, they also have to pay the same fees.

The officials added that the institutions equipped with instruments such as CT scan, ultrasound, endoscopy, biochemical and pathological examination facilities have to pay more money during registration and renewal.

Owners of these clinics are supposed to get clearance certificate from state pollution control board for disposal of their biomedical waste under Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1990, prior to grant of registration or renewal certificate.