Show Cause notice issued to Pune Private Hospital for violation of Nursing Home Act

The hospital was found to be flouting many mandatory rules including a valid fire no-objection certificate (NOC), proper display of the patient’s rights charter, and so on.

The notice comes as part of a special inspection drive initiated by the public health department. The PMC began inspecting 850 nursing homes and hospitals registered under its jurisdiction last Thursday. Among these, Healing Hands Clinic, a NABH-accredited speciality hospital, was also scrutinized. PMC will carry out the inspection drive all through this month and it has already inspected more than 87 hospitals in the city, reports Hindustan Times.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) initiated a comprehensive inspection drive across private hospitals and nursing homes in the city following directives from the state public health department. On Thursday, under the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act of 1949, the PMC conducted inspections at ten private hospitals. The extensive drive aims to inspect a total of 850 nursing homes and hospitals across Pune to ensure compliance with the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act of 1949 and the Maharashtra Nursing Home Registration (Amendment) Rules, of 2021, during the month-long campaign.

According to officials, the ward medical officer from the Aundh-Baner ward office conducted an inspection at the hospital on Friday. While the hospital holds a valid nursing home registration and license until 2027, the inspection revealed non-compliance with the Nursing Home Act. Dr. Devkar, the inspecting officer stated that they have granted the hospital a 30-day period to meet all compliance requirements. The hospital is expected to submit a report upon completing the process. However, officials have warned of immediate and strict action if compliance is not achieved within the stipulated timeframe.

Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health officer of the PMC, told the Daily, “The hospital was found operating without a valid fire no-objection certificate (NOC). As per the amendment, all hospitals and nursing homes registered under the Nursing Home Act have to mandatorily display the patients’ rights charter, treatment tariff, phone numbers, and details of the local authority and grievance redressal cell. However, none of this was found to be displayed by the hospital.”

An official of the hospital administration stated that the hospital has applied for the fire NOC and is likely to receive it soon. “The fire compliance process takes a couple of months, which is why we were unable to provide the fire NOC. A small board with information about treatment tariffs and other details has been placed at the reception. Instructions have been given to display larger boards with all relevant information in prominent locations. All compliance measures will be completed, and the report will be submitted to the PMC as soon as possible,” he added.