The Hitavada, Date: 01 May 2016 14:11:37
State Government’s tall claims of private hospitals in the district running as per the norms of the Private Hospital and Nursing Home Act, is not proving to be true. Majority of private hospitals in the district are continuing their old practice and not displaying their rate list regarding their room charges, doctors’ fees and other diagnostic and pathology test, on display board, which has to be easily accessible for patients coming to the hospital.
Taking note of the complaints of majority of hospitals not displaying the rate list on notice board and not following the norms specified in Private Hospital and Nursing Home Act 1973, Principal Secretary, Public Health and Family Planning Department, under the guidelines to provide transparent medical services to the patients, has directed the Chief Medical And Health Officer (CMHO), to start drive against the private hospitals violating the norms.
CMHO has constituted team of high officials of Health Department after repeated complaints were made at the CMHO office that some of private hospitals have failed to provide mandatory information as per standard norms of Health Department, even after issuance of repeated circular and notices in last few months. Sources highly placed in the Health Department informed that high officials of the Health Department have made clear to the CMHO, to ensure that rate list of various medical procedure, bed charges, consultant charge, other procedural including Radiology, Diagnostic, Pathology charges should be listed on the notice board at each private hospital, so that patient should be aware of the charges. CMHO also sent letter in this regard to the private hospitals for redressal of the complaint.
Sources also claimed that large number of big private hospitals do not pay heed to the letter of CMHO, and did not place rate list on their notice board, even after the remainder letter sent being served to private hospitals. Now, CMHO has decided to take action on the private hospitals failing to display price list of consultant fees, bed charges, diagnostic, pathology other procedural charges on their reception, and failing to provide information on the patients with complaint of mosquito borne disease like dengue, malaria, etc. at their respective email or through messenger under the Nursing Home Act 1973, said Chief Medical and Health Officer.
