Bhubaneswar: Alleging deliberate harassment of the private hospitals by the Odisha government, the All Odisha Private Medical Establishment Forum has announced that 1780 private hospitals across the state would remain closed on May 25 as a mark of protest.
Talking to media persons after a general body meeting of the Forum at the IMA Bhawan in the capital city here on Sunday, spokesperson of the Forum Subrat Jena said as per the decision taken at the meeting, about 2000 private health clinics including 1780 private hospitals, diagnostic centres, physiotherapy and radio therapy centres in Odisha would remain closed for 24 hours from 6 amon May 25. During the period, health service would be only provided to the patients admitted to the private hospitals.
He said under the Clinical Establishments (Control and Regulation) Rules, 2017, the state government is neither registering the new private hospitals nor renewing the license of the old private hospitals.
“Though the Forum has taken up the matter with the state government since 2014, the latter has not taken any step in this regard,” Jena alleged.
He said the Forum has urged the state government to take immediate step for the registration and renewal of license of the private hospitals which have been pending since 2014 and allow all doctors of the private hospitals to discharge their duties efficiently.
“The Forum has asked the state government to fulfil its demand within a month failing which all private hospitals and clinical establishments would remain closed indefinitely,” he pointed out.
Among others, Forum president Dr Ajay Mishra, vice-president Dr Jagannath Mohapatra and secretary Dr Indramani Jena also spoke.
