First: Medical Council to soon regulate hospitals, take action in Tamil Nadu
Chennai: In a First for any state medical council, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council is now in the process of generating minimum standard protocols to be followed by all the hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and labs and at the same time, empowering itself to take action against errant hospitals. The move comes in the wake of a High court direction that asked the council to increase its mandate and bring hospitals,nursing homes and clinics under its focus
TOI reports that with an aim to enforce quality standards on all hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and labs in the state, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has been narrowing down a set of guidelines, minimum standards protocol to be followed by all the hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and labs. The council is also in the process of getting powers to take action against hospitals in case these guidelines are violated Till now the main mandate of the council has been to regulate the functioning of doctors, it will soon set up a committee in order to frame guidelines that will empower them to pull up hospitals too.
Dr K Senthil, president of TN Medical Council told TOI, “Meeting these standards will be mandatory”.
“If we receive a complaint about a hospital or a clinic from the public, not meeting these standards could be used against them,” he added.
Dr Senthil told the daily that the plan to bring hospitals under its regulation has been in the statutory body’s backburner for close to a decade but it was brought up after 2014 case before the Madras high court a man had lodged a complaint of medical negligence against a corporate hospital in Chennai, for allegedly causing his father’s death, but the council had to set aside the complaint citing it had no power to act against hospitals.
“We can debar doctors as they are registered with us. Hospitals, we have no power. But we can provide assistance to authorities who have penalizing powers,” Senthil stated.
When the case reached trial, the Madras high court, in consultation with the Medical Council of India, directed the state council to frame guidelines that would empower them to act against hospitals.
As per the statement made by the members of the council, the guidelines will be ready by June.
Read also:Bring Hospitals, Nursing Homes under our Ambit: State Medical Council tells Maha Govt
TOI reports that with an aim to enforce quality standards on all hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and labs in the state, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has been narrowing down a set of guidelines, minimum standards protocol to be followed by all the hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and labs. The council is also in the process of getting powers to take action against hospitals in case these guidelines are violated Till now the main mandate of the council has been to regulate the functioning of doctors, it will soon set up a committee in order to frame guidelines that will empower them to pull up hospitals too.
Dr K Senthil, president of TN Medical Council told TOI, “Meeting these standards will be mandatory”.
“If we receive a complaint about a hospital or a clinic from the public, not meeting these standards could be used against them,” he added.
Dr Senthil told the daily that the plan to bring hospitals under its regulation has been in the statutory body’s backburner for close to a decade but it was brought up after 2014 case before the Madras high court a man had lodged a complaint of medical negligence against a corporate hospital in Chennai, for allegedly causing his father’s death, but the council had to set aside the complaint citing it had no power to act against hospitals.
“We can debar doctors as they are registered with us. Hospitals, we have no power. But we can provide assistance to authorities who have penalizing powers,” Senthil stated.
When the case reached trial, the Madras high court, in consultation with the Medical Council of India, directed the state council to frame guidelines that would empower them to act against hospitals.
As per the statement made by the members of the council, the guidelines will be ready by June.
Read also:Bring Hospitals, Nursing Homes under our Ambit: State Medical Council tells Maha Govt
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