NAROWAL: A joint team of the district administration and health department on Tuesday sealed 15 `illegal` clinical laboratories over `fake` lab reports and non-availability of technical staf f.

Chairman District Health Authority/Deputy Commissioner Shahid Farid gave the task of crackdown to the joint team of district administration and health department to check clinical laboratories on public complaints.

Deputy District Officer (Health) Dr. Muhammad Adnan said a joint teamled by Assistant Commissioner Narowal Salman Ahmed Lone checked laboratories located opposite district headquarters hospital on Circular Road.

The team sealed 15 labs including Rehman Lab, Chagatai Plus, Lahore Lab, Anmol Lab, Iman Lab, Healthcare Lab, Rahila Lab and AlliedLahore Lab due to nonavailability of technical staf f and issuance of counterfeit clinical reports.

Salman Lone told Dawn that the laboratories were making reports and giving them to patients without pathologists, lab technicians and other technical staff.

He said in one instance a patient`s blood samples were given to three different laboratories for the same test, but there was a clear difference in the reports of the three labs.

He said when the labs were checked during the crackdown, there was no pathologist, lab technician and other technical staf f.

Mr Lone said the laboratories were issuing fake clinical reports by charging huge fees from patients.

According to sources, the district administration has decided to act against `f ake` clinical laboratories on a large scale in Shakargarh, Zafarwal and Narowal tehsils.