PESHAWAR/MANSEHRA: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Regulatory Authority (HRA) sealed more than a dozen unregistered clinics in different areas of Mansehra on Tuesday and warned to lodge FIRs against private diagnostic centres and clinics functioning without fulfilling legal formalities.

The HRA also took notice of the reopening of illegal diagnostic centres, which were sealed in different parts of Peshawar city, according to a handout issued here on Tuesday.

The HRA had recently sealed a number of diagnostic centres in various localities of Peshawar including Board, Hashtnagri, Faqirabad, Dalazak Road, Saeedabad, Afghan Colony and Ittehad Colony.

In Mansehra, over a dozen unregistered clinics were sealed by HRA in Oghi, Khaki and Barkund areas.

A team of HRA visited Oghi and sealed seven medical and homoeopathic clinics there. Sources said that all the sealed clinics were being run without registration and technical staff.

The same team also visited Barkund area and sealed five clinics, which were run by non-professional people. Two pathological laboratories were also sealed during the surprised raids.

Imtiaz Ali, HRA inspector, told journalists that the team would continue the raids until all such clinics and hospitals were sealed.

He said that surprise raids were carried out in Oghi, Khaki and Barkund areas of the district.

Mr Ali also advised those people, who were running clinics and hospitals without proper registration and staff, to approach HRA for registration of their clinics and hospitals and induct professional staff. He said that illegal clinics would be sealed permanently.

Published in Dawn, October 29th , 2014