Mumbai: In a major crackdown on errant healthcare providers, the Maharashtra government has cancelled the registration of 258 private hospitals for flouting the norms laid down under the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949. State Health Minister Prakash Abitkar made the announcement during the question hour in the state legislative assembly on Thursday.
23,354 Private Hospitals Inspected Across The State
The violations came to light during two extensive inspections conducted earlier this year by the state health department. According to Abitkar, out of 23,354 private hospitals inspected across the state, a staggering 5,134 were found in breach of various provisions of the Act, which mandates infrastructure standards, proper staffing, hygiene, fire safety, biomedical waste disposal, transparent billing and a grievance redressal mechanism.
All 5,134 hospitals received notices instructing them to comply with the law. However, during a follow-up reinspection, 258 of these were still found to be in violation. As a result, the state moved to cancel their registration, Abitkar said, signalling a stern message against malpractice and negligence in the private healthcare sector.
Inspection Drives To Be Conducted Every Year: Health Minister
The health minister clarified that this was the first time such a comprehensive drive had been undertaken, and that the government intends to make it an annual exercise. “This was the first such drive conducted across Maharashtra. Going forward, it will be implemented every year to ensure hospitals function within legal and ethical boundaries,” he said.
Abitkar also acknowledged concerns raised by several private doctors and smaller healthcare operators who claimed that the Act’s uniformity fails to distinguish between large hospitals and smaller establishments like daycare centres and nursing homes. To address this, the minister announced plans to amend the 1949 Act in the upcoming legislative session.
“Right now, the law doesn’t differentiate between full-fledged hospitals and small clinics or nursing homes, which struggle to meet the same standards. We are planning to bring in a revised bill to account for this and offer more realistic compliance parameters for smaller setups,” he explained.
