The Directorate General of Health Services has ordered all privately-run medical facilities across the country to mention their licence details on their signboards amid a crackdown on unregistered institutions.

In an order issued on Thursday, the health directorate warned that punitive measures will be taken against those who fail to comply with the directive.

“All private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres and blood banks must mention the licence number along with its date of expiry on their signboards. If necessary, they should display it with a QR code. Otherwise, they will face legal consequences.”

The move aims to ensure proper services for patients at medical facilities and bring transparency to the healthcare sector, according to DGHS Director Md Belal Hossain.

“On many occassions, the DGHS has found hospitals or clinics operating without authorisation. Through this process, we can easily identify the facilities that are unlicensed. If they have a registration number, they must display it. A number of legal provisions apply here. Initially, they will be warned. If they still fail to register, we’ll shut [the hospital or clinic] down.”

The health directorate launched a drive against the unregistered private medical facilities on Aug 29. As many as 700 institutions across Bangladesh have been closed for failing to meet registration requirements, while the authorities have also collected fines worth Tk 1.1 million until Aug 31.