Raiganj: North Dinajpur district health officials on Friday filed a police complaint against a private nursing home in Raiganj for not complying with a directive to close down the facility.

Prakash Mridha, the chief medical officer of health, filed the police complaint seeking necessary steps.

On March 11, a fire had broken out at Mikkymegha Hospital in Chhotporua, on the outskirts of Raiganj. There was no casualty and all patients were safely brought outside. The health department started a probe and found that the licence granted to the private clinic under the Clinical Establishment Act and the fire licence had expired.

"We then served them a notice and sought a clarification as to why no steps would be taken against them. However, the authorities didn't not reply," said an official.

On March 16, the CMOH issued a closure notice to the nursing home but the facility went on admitting and treating patients. "We have repeatedly asked them to renew the licences but they didn't care. I was forced to inform the district magistrate and based on her instructions, I have filed a complaint with the police. They are running it in an illegal manner," said Mridha.

The nursing home authorities, however, said they had applied for the renewal of the licences. "In such a situation, the health department should not have taken such a step," said Gopinath Das, the manager of the nursing home.