Shawdesh desk:

A total of 14 unregistered clinics and diagnostic centres in Bagerhat have been ordered to shut down.

Bagerhat Civil Surgeon Jalal Uddin Ahmed confirmed the matter on Saturday.

Those clinics and diagnostic centres had been operating illegally for a long time without licence, he said.

According to the list of the district health department, there are 14 unregistered clinics and diagnostic centres in different areas of Bagerhat.

Previously, eight clinics and diagnostic centres were shut down during mobile court drives, according to Bagerhat District Health Department sources.

On January 22 and 23, the executive magistrates conducted drives in Bagerhat Sadar, Chitalmari, Mollahat, and Sharankhola upazilas and shut down three clinics and five diagnostic centres for not having any licence.

Additionally, a clinic in Sadar upazila was fined Tk 50,000, said the civil surgeon.

He also said that the authorities of six clinics and diagnostic centres without licence had closed their own establishments after being informed of the drive.

He added that their drive against illegal clinics and diagnostic centres is continuing.

According to the data for 2023, there are 45 clinics and 75 diagnostic centres in the district, said sources at the civil surgeon’s office.