Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Nursing Homes Association is up in arms against the recent amendments to the Nursing Homes and Clinical Establishments Act and is planning to protest against it. The association members have also been planning to knock on the court’s door if the government does not make the required changes in the Act.
According to the president of the Nursing Homes Association, Dr Vijay Harlalka, many small nursing homes will face closure due to the amendments to the Act.
“The government has imposed amendments to the Act suddenly and without taking anyone into confidence. It hasn’t only increased the registration fees by more than five times, but also put some unrealistic clauses which are hard to fulfil,” Dr Harlalka said.
Talking about the clause, he said, “No resident doctor can work at another hospital and it’ll be hard for small hospitals to pay salaries to senior doctors. It’s feasible to avail of doctors on call as many hospitals can’t afford permanent recruitment of senior doctors.”
The president said that the increase in registration fees would also affect the treatment cost of patients. “We’ll hold a general meeting of the state body and will decide the course of protest against the act,” he added.
Amendments to Act
Old Provisions:
Services of Registered Medical Practitioners:
1- One qualified medical practitioner for every 15-patient bed strength or part thereof, two for every 30-patient bed strength or part thereof with a minimum of 3 qualified medical practitioners in a nursing home having less than 45 beds
2- One medical practitioner for every 40 new out-patients or part thereof per day
3-One medical practitioner for every 50 OPD patients or part thereof per day
New provisions:
Services of Registered Medical Practitioners of the same system of medicine for which the Nursing Home is registered shall be provided at the scale indicated:
1 One resident registered medical practitioner of the same system of medicine for which the Nursing Home is registered for every 20-patient bed strength or part thereof, to look after indoor patients
2 One additional medical practitioner for every 50 out-patients or part thereof per day
3 A resident registered medical practitioner shall be permitted to work in only one nursing home of the state, at a time. No part-time engagements in any other nursing home shall be permissible. Any such engagement shall be a ground for cancellation of Registration and Licence
4 A resident registered medical practitioner shall physically be present in the nursing home and render his services for attending to in-patients at all times as specified in the duty schedule of the nursing home.
