The Malda district administration's surveillance team on health closed down four pathological labs and a private nursing home on Thursday as the authorities concerned could not produce the documents required to run medical establishments.

The team conducted inspections at health establishments in association with the administrations of Kaliachak 2 and Englishbazarthe blocks. The inspections were conducted in the Englishbazar and Mothabari areas of the district after complaints had come from different quarters about the authenticity of those establishments.

“We inspected four pathological laboratories near Bangitola block hospital in Kaliachak 2 block as we had received several complaints against them. The reports issued by those clinics were found to be unauthentic. Treatments based on such reports could be detrimental to the health of patients. Those laboratories have neither proper infrastructure nor experts who can sign on test reports. They did not adhere to the norms in the Clinical Establishment Act,” said a member of the surveillance team.

Along with the closure of the labs, the team also submitted a chargesheet against them to the district administration.

A similar action was taken against a private nursing home at Gabgachi in Englishbazar. Last week, another private diagnostic centre in Englishbazar was sealed.

“We resolved to shut down all those clinics which did not adhere to stipulated standards and rules. The drive will continue,” said Piyush Salunkhe, the additional district magistrate (general), Malda.

Sources said a number of private nursing homes and pathology laboratories had mushroomed in the Gabgachhi-Jadupur area in Englishbazar and near almost all block hospitals. “It has even come to our notice that a residential building has been converted into a nursing home without any planning. Pathology laboratories are being run in 100-square-foot rooms that do not have the infrastructure. Steps would be taken against each such establishment,” said an official of the district health department.

Koushik Mistri, the Kaliachak 2 block medical officer of health, said the pathological lab at the block hospital in Bangitola was well-equipped and run by trained technicians.