8 Pune private hospitals served show-cause notices for violations

Pune: In violation of the Maharashtra Nursing Home Act, which mandates hospitals to adhere to specific regulatory standards, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued show-cause notices to eight private hospitals across the city. The hospitals have been given 30 days to rectify the shortcomings, or their registration will be cancelled.

Pune has around 850 hospitals and clinics, both large and small, and the PMC inspection team conducts checks twice a year to ensure that hospitals are complying with mandatory regulations.

During the recent inspection, these eight hospitals were found violating norms, including the absence of proper fire safety measures and the non-display of boards showing charges, following which the administration gave them 30 days to address the issues.

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These hospitals are spread across different areas, including Kasba Peth, Ghole Road, Kothrud, and others, under the jurisdiction of the Aundh regional office.

Under the Maharashtra Private Hospitals Registration Act, hospitals are required to prominently display several important documents and information in their public areas. These include the Patient Rights Charter, hospital rate lists, a toll-free complaint number provided by the Municipal Corporation, a patient information form (Form D), and valid fire safety certificates.

As per a TOI media report, the PMC's health department inspects private hospitals at an interval of six months to ensure that these facilities comply with the norms under the acts. The health hubs are mainly checked for compliance with fire safety norms, and display of patients' rights boards and charges boards at a visible location. The hospitals are also required to display the 24x7 toll-free number given for patients to raise complaints.

Commenting on this, Suryakant Deokar, assistant health officer, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), who issued these notices, said, "The municipal corporation inspects private hospitals twice a year. There are about 850 hospitals and clinics, both small and big, in the city. Notices were sent to three hospitals last week and eight this week. Action is taken against hospital administrations under the Bombay Nursing Home Act. If the irregularities are not rectified even after the notice is issued, we will cancel the registration of the hospital concerned."

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