SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad Jan 31: Deadlock over Clinical Establishment Act between the state government and agitating Indian Medical Association (IMA) is set to end as the first round talk concluded on a positive note.
IMA state president Dr AK Singh and secretary Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh said that IMA has handed over its suggestion to the state government team for amendment in the Act and proposed to take advice from medical colleges’ expert doctors so that health centres and patients do not suffer.
After talks with the state nodal officer of Clinical Establishment Act Dr SN Jha, Dr Singh said that IMA has again proposed the state government to exempt hospital having less than 60 beds from the Act and give five years time to above 60 beds nursing home for restoring eligibility under CEA as the Haryana government has given relaxation.
“Since response of the government looked positive at the talk, IMA is hopeful that the deadlock on the Act will end soon in the interest of patients,” said Dr Pradeep Kumar.
IMA has been agitating against the Act as the government has shut down several private hospitals/ clinics especially in Dhanbad and Jamshedpur in the name of violating the CEA.
IMA Hospital Board chairman Dr RS Das while expressing concern over the impact of the Act said that since keeping eligibility set under the Act is impossible, over 3500 single doctor clinics in the state will shut down if an amendment is not made in it ( Act).
“In fact it is not practically possible for small health clinics run by single doctors or husband and wife medicos in lanes and colonies under the guidelines issued by the state government, resulting in patients to suffer a lot,” said Dr Das.
Pointing out one of the discrepancies, the IMA secretary said that whenever any accident occurs, the patient is first admitted at a nearby health centre for first aid and later referred to another hospital. But under the CEA, the health centre would have to keep the patient till he recovers fully. “Definitely the patient would suffer from this Act,” said Dr Singh.
Pradeep Kumar Singh said IMA demanded from the government to set standards for private hospitals which have been established for the government hospitals.
