Odisha: 3000 Private Hospitals Shut doors against Clinical Establishment Act

The All Odisha Private Medical Establishment Forum claimed that the Odisha Clinical Establishment Act, 1990 is a hindrance for easy registration and renewal of private health facilities in the state.

Bhubaneswar: As a mark of protest against the state government's delay in amending the Odisha Clinical Establishment Act, 1990, all private hospitals, diagnostic centres and clinics are remaining closed today.

The outpatient and emergency departments in approximately 3,000 private hospitals will remain closed from 6 am following a cease-work agitation, Jagannath Mohapatra, the vice-president of All Odisha Private Medical Establishment Forum (AOPMEF) confirmed to PTI yesterday.

The strike call was given by the AOPMEF during a meeting at the IMA Institute on May 20. More than 2,000 clinics and laboratories have also joined the protest.

The AOPMEF claimed that the Odisha Clinical Establishment Act is a hindrance for easy registration and renewal of private health facilities in the state.

"We had apprised the government about the matter way back in 2014, but no action was taken," Mohapatra told PTI.

Advisor of the forum, Gadadhar Sarangi informed OdishaTV, "There is a need of a change in the rules and requirements should be laid out which could help in registration of private hospitals. But if we suddenly clampdown on the hospitals which were registered way back in 2002, then the concerned hospital will be unable to fulfil the required criteria. If we close them down, how will the public get the services?"

In 2016, the hospitals had called for a strike on the same issue, which was later called off after the state government assured the forum that it will consider their demands.

Read Also: Odisha: Private hospitals call off a strike after assurance

Keeping the strike in view, the state government is taking all steps to ensure patients are not inconvenienced by the protest, officials informed the news agency.

The Director of Health Service (DHS) of Odisha, Dr B Brahma, has instructed all government health institutions, including medical colleges, to remain alert and be ready to meet any emergency situation.

"We are in readiness to meet the situation. Besides the major medical colleges, all district headquarters hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres are prepared to treat patients," Dr B Brahma told TOI.

Meanwhile, the SCB Medical College & Hospital in Cuttack has made all arrangements ahead of the shutdown. Emergency officer of SCB medical, Bhubanananda Maharana told Odisha TV,"All the doctors have been asked to be on duty in casualty, trauma care, and labour room as a load in these departments could remain higher. They have been directed by the superintendent and the hospital authorities to ensure that services are not hampered."