Dimapur, August 13 : The department of the Health & Family Welfare has issued formal orders stating total prohibition of healthcare centers—including those instated by nongovernmental organizations—in Nagaland. No person or organization shall set up healthcare establishments except under valid licence issued by the state’s health authority.
The department issued a public notice earlier on Friday stating provisions of section-4 of the Nagaland Health Care Establishment Act of 1997.
‘No person shall set up any healthcare establishment including the ones run by any voluntary organization except under valid licence granted by the Nagaland healthcare establishment authority in accordance with the provision of the Act, the notice stated. The riders in the notice are (given verbatim): ‘Therefore, as per provision of section-3 of Nagaland Health Care Establishment Act 1997, all Health care establishment:
• A general hospital, maternity hospital nursing home, dispensary, clinic, sanatorium or an institution of any recognized system of medicine
• Any institution or centre by whatever name called where physical or mentally sick, injured or infirm persons are admitted either as in patients or out patients for treatment with or without the aid of operative procedure and
• A clinic where patients are admitted for examination and treatment with or without the aid of operative procedures, it shall also mean a centre catering the radiological, biological and other diagnostic or investigative service with the aid of laboratory or other medical equipments are hereby directed to register and if already registered, renew their license within three months from the date of issue of this public notice, upon receiving the applications the authority will scrutinize the same and then consider and pass orders in accordance with sections 6,7,8 of the said act
'Any violation, contravention or non compliance (sic) of the act and its rules,' the government stated in caution, will invite punishment as per provisions of the Act.
The application form seeking registration or a license or its renewal can be collected from room-302 of the directorate of Health and Family Welfare in Kohima, the notice added.
