Medical establishments to get registered by Feb 10, 2010
Times of India, The, Jan 18, 2010
DHARWAD: All private medical establishments in the state will be required to get registered with the respective registration authority in their districts before February 10.
The Karnataka State Private Medical Establishments Act 2007 which has been notified on November 10, 2009 stipulates that all the private medical establishments need to be registered with the appropriate authorities.
The deputy commissioner of the district is the chairman of the registration authority. The district health and family welfare officer, president and secretary of the district unit of Indian Medical Association are the members of the committee.
Giving details of the provisions of the Act here on Saturday, DC Darpan Jain said all private nursing homes, hospitals, dispensaries, consultation units, clinics, pathology laboratories, diagnostic centres, radiology/scan centres and other such units come under the purview of the Act.
INSPECTION COMMITTEE TO BE FORMED
The Act stipulates that these establishments must maintain minimum standards and display the schedule of fees charged on a board or brochure.They are also required to maintain records of each patient visiting the establishment and provide the details to the patient or his relatives on demand. A local inspection committee comprising of experts will be formed by the deputy commissioner. The committee will inspect the establishments.
Darpan Jain said the registration will be valid for a period of five years and has to be renewed after five years. He said he had informed the IMAs local unit to inform its members to register their units with the authorities under the Act failing which they would be forced to close business.
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Some highlights..
1.Schedule of charges to be notified - this means every hospital has have a list of medical treatments provided and their corresponding costs listed like a menu card in a restuarant.
2.Standards :- The private medical establishments have to follows the minimum standards specified by rules notified. So every citizen will get a minimum assured level of treatment.
3. Obligations of Private Medical Establishments :-administer necessary first aid and take other life saving or stabilising emergency measures in all medico-legal or potentially medico-legal cases such as victims of road accidents, accidental or induced burns or poisoningor criminal assaults and the like which present themselves or are brought before it at the establishment . This makes sure that nobody is denied treatment in the event of unforseen emergencies.
http://praja.in/en/blog/vinod-shankar/2009/10/26/karnataka-private-medical-establishments-act-2007
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Karnataka drafts bill to regulate private sector
Soumya V - Mumbai
The Task Force on Health and Family welfare, appointed by the Govt of Karnataka, has taken up the onus of registrating and accreditating private healthcare institutions in the state.
The task force, along with various medical bodies, has prepared the Karnataka Private Healthcare Establishments Bill, 2000. The Bill has been tabled in the state assembly and is expected to come up for discussions in the forthcoming assembly session. The task force is pushing hard for the passing of the bill, it is learnt.
The Bill, if passed, will replace the Karnataka Private Nursing Home (Regulation) Act, 1976. The bill is designed to have effective control over private healthcare establishments in the State. It will cover all private establishments including health clubs.
Speaking to Express Healthcare Management, H Sudarshan, chairman of the task force, said that establishment norms are different for district and state level centres. “The regulations are not to threaten them,” he clarified. Public hospitals are not included as these are already being regulated through mandatory ISO 9000 conferred by the state. Pilot projects for ISO accreditation have been carried out in 10 public hospitals so far.
The Bill, among other things, provides for registration of private health care establishment and suspension and cancellation of registration; constitution of registration authority and local inspection committee; classifying healthcare establishments with reference to different standards and to require the healthcare establishments to conform to the standards regarding staff, operation theatre, buildings, equipment etc; requiring every private health care establishment to notify the fees structure charged by it for different medical treatment and other services; obligations of private health care establishments; and penalties for contravention of the Act and the Rules.
The committee for registration will comprise members from departments of Health and Family Welfare, Health Services, Indian System of Medicine & Homeopathy, Karnataka Medical Council, ISM Council, Homeopathy Council, Indian Medical Association, and Association of Nursing Homes and Private Hospitals. Besides, the committee will also nominate one general physician (allopathy), one representative of private establishments of ayurveda and two representatives nominated by the nursing homes to represent different regions of the state.
The local inspection committee for Bangalore metropolitan area will comprise of health officer; representative of Karnataka Medical Council; secretary, Indian Medical Association; president of Association of Nursing Homes and Private Hospitals, Bangalore; deputy director, Dept. of ISM&H; president, Indian Association of General Practitioners; and one senior nurse.
The standards will be set separately for different groups (urban/ rural, size, other categories), as determined by the registration authority. Expert committees will be constituted by the registration authority for setting standards for each group. The composition, terms and conditions, powers and responsibilities, etc, will be laid down by the Rules.
Karnataka is not the only state to lay down regulations for the healthcare sector. The neighbouring state of Maharashtra has also proposed the Clinical Establishments Act to replace the archiac Bombay Nursing Home Act. However, the proposed Clinical Establishments Act will only oversee registration of healthcare establishments in the state. The accreditation, in all probability will be looked up by the Health Care Accreditation Council - a body comprising various medical bodies.
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Many hospitals yet to register under KPME Act
October 24 deadline may not be extended
550 establishments in Bangalore have registered
KPME Act was notified in November 2009
Bangalore: Although the deadline for private medical establishments to register under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, 2007, has been extended up to October 24, many are yet to sign in.
Of the estimated 15,000 medical establishments, including diagnostic centres in the city, only 550 have registered so far, while owners of 4,850 establishments have applied for registration. In addition, 400 establishments from other parts of the State have registered, say health officials.
Earlier deadline
Although the State Department of Health and Family Welfare extended the initial February 10 deadline through an amendment to the KPME Act, the response has been poor.
“There is no excuse after October 24 for the existing establishments as this is a one-time extension.
“If they do not apply by then, we will strictly follow the provisions in the Act to penalise them,” E.V. Ramana Reddy, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, told The Hindu.
Quoting the Act, District Health Officer (Bangalore Urban) M. Thimappa said those who do not register before the deadline would be liable for punishment, including imprisonment.
“We have set up a District Registration Authority Committee comprising representatives from the Indian Medical Association and AYUSH Board.
“This committee has started inspecting the establishments that have applied for registration. We will randomly conduct inspections even after the deadline and initiate action against those who have not registered,” he said.
Appeal
Calling upon all the private medical establishments to register, Dr. Thimappa said: “Owners of smaller establishments may be under the impression that they need not register. But, according to the Act, all have to compulsorily register or face action.”
However, sources in the department said that it would be difficult for the Government to punish the violators.
“To ensure that the private medical establishments get more time to register, the Government has amended the Act within a few months of it being notified on November 10, 2009. It is rare that the Government amends Acts within a short period from notification,” the sources said.
H. Paramesh, president of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes' Association (PHANA), said most of the association members had applied for registration. “But we are yet to be issued registration certificates,” he said.
The Act is aimed at regulating and controlling private medical establishments, including diagnostic centres, health clubs and alternative medicine centres, to ensure that people get quality healthcare.
What the Act says
According to the Act, every private medical establishment will have to prominently display the rates charged by the hospital for various medical procedures and facilities.
The new law also stipulates minimum standards in terms of physical infrastructure, technical know-how and staff qualifications to set up a private healthcare institution.
Until now, a trade licence from the local civic body and a no-objection certificate from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board were enough to open a private health facility.
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