Illegal hospital in Sohna busted, two quacks held

It was acting on a tip-off that police searched the facility, which was also serving as a trauma centre for accident victims and other critical patients, around 7am on Tuesday

A joint team of chief minister’s flying squad and Haryana health department busted an illegal hospital being run on Tauru Road in Sohna on Tuesday and arrested two quacks from the spot, officials said on Wednesday.

Police said Govind Kumar, who owned the facility, and Zakir Hussain, who worked as a “doctor” there, failed to produce any document to establish that they were qualified physicians. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/representation purpose only)

Two qualified doctors, including one reportedly working at a Haryana government hospital, were employed at the facility, they added.

It was acting on a tip-off that police searched the facility, which was also serving as a trauma centre for accident victims and other critical patients, around 7am on Tuesday. The search was led by Dr Dipanshu Saini, the medical officer of community health centre at Ghaghaula in Sohna.

Police said Govind Kumar, who owned the facility, and Zakir Hussain, who worked as a “doctor” there, failed to produce any document to establish that they were qualified physicians. They also did not have any registration to run the hospital or a licence to dispose of biomedical waste, police said.

A senior police officer said six seals were seized during the search. The fact that a state government doctor was also working at the facility came to fore after the recovery of the seals, the officer said, asking not to be named.

“During interrogation, Kumar told us that one of the doctors at his hospital was working at a government hospital and was contracted for regular visits to his facility and paid accordingly. Two seals belonging to that doctor was also recovered from the facility,” the officer said.

On Saini’s complaint, an FIR was registered against the arrested quacks under section 269 (unlawfully or negligently doing act that spread a dangerous disease), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and 34 of National Medical Commission Act at the City Sohna police station on Tuesday night.

He said the facility had a two-bed intensive care unit, operation theatre, wards with 13 beds, a private room, pharmacy, an outpatient department and other facilities. “However, they were poorly equipped,” he said.

Saini said once it is established that a government doctor was working at the facility, his name will be included in the FIR and departmental proceedings will be initiated against him separately.

“At least 10 patients used to be treated there every day. No record was found that could establish from when the hospital became functional and how many patients were treated there till date. Besides accident victims, delivery cases were also handled there,” he said.

“During the search, Hussain identified himself as the hospital’s marketing head, but he was caught treating patients,” he said.

Police also recovered medicines, mostly injections to control inflammation and excessive bleeding, besides antibiotics were recovered from the facility. The police also seized letterheads, six treatment summary files of patients that did not have any doctor’s signature, OPD register and other items from the hospital.