Sylhet district authorities have begun raids against 14 private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers operating without renewed licenses after receiving a request for legal action from the divisional health directorate.
Authorities have inspected four facilities and permanently sealed Safeway Hospital. Other facilities with renewal applications pending have been fined.
A health official said facilities without renewed licenses must be considered to be operating illegally.
Hospital representatives blamed delays on missing documents, including narcotics certificates, and said their applications were pending with the health ministry.
“We raided two diagnostic centers yesterday and two today. One has already been sealed, and we have brought those whose applications are pending under fines,” a district administration official said. “If they do not renew their licenses within the stipulated time, all of them will gradually be sealed off.”
Officials said inspections and enforcement actions against the remaining facilities would continue.