SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 19: The state health department has served an ultimatum to the private nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, pathology centres and X-Ray centres to get registered under the Clinical Establishment Act 2020 in the next 15 days or face legal action.
Dhanbad Civil Surgeon (CS) Dr Shyam Kishore Kant today issued a notice to the private health centres of the district in this regard asking them to file an online application for registration or renewal of their health establishment under the Clinical Establishment Act on a mandatory basis latest by August 2. Thereafter, the health department will take legal action under the Act against unauthorised health institutions.
The officials of the health department said that over 500 small and big private hospitals/ nursing homes, clinics, path labs, diagnosis centres and X-ray centres function in different areas in Dhanbad but most of them have not registered under the Clinical Establishment Act 2020. Though some of them are registered, they have not renewed their status.
Under the Clinical Establishment Act 2020, all private hospitals/ nursing homes, clinics, path labs and X-ray centres have to get registered and renewed every year.
As per the Act, the registered health centre has to display the name of facilities and the list of services it provides to the patients. The name of the doctor, his qualification, the cost of treatment and testing charges have to also be mentioned on the sign board.
A state health department official said that it had been found that some health clinics, especially small establishments, claim to provide all treatment facilities but physically, they possess nothing. But under this Act, the health centres would be fined for false claims.
State consultant of Clinical Establishment Act Rahul Kumar said that the department continuously holds awareness campaigns among the private hospitals, and diagnostic and path labs about the Act and its legal action.
Civil surgeon Dr Kant in his notice has warned that under Section 41 (1) of the Clinical Establishment Act, unauthorized (unregistered) hospital/ nursing homes will be fined Rs 5000 the first time. If it is found unregistered for the second time, the fine amount would be Rs 20,000. The health department will slap a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for the third time.
