IMA Telangana seeks Clinical Establishment Act exemption for Small Hospitals
Superintendent Under Scrutiny for Escalating Tensions
Hyderabad: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Telangana, on Tuesday urged the state health department to address several challenges faced by the medical community, especially demanding exemption for hospitals with less than 50 beds from the provisions of the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA).
In a letter to health department officials, the IMA requested that hospitals with fewer than 50 beds be exempted from the provisions of the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA), citing the adverse impact the Act has had on smaller hospitals.
Talking to Medical Dialogues, Dr V Ashok, IMA Telangana, stated, “We have been approaching DME, Health secretary, Health Minister, and many other authorities with our demands. Clinical Establishment Act has elaborate rules and regulations and adhering to all of them becomes extremely difficult for small hospitals. Hence, as far as 50-bedded hospitals are concerned, either there should be some amendments in the rule or they should be exempted from the rules.”
The association pointed out that states like Haryana and Bihar have already provided such exemptions and called for similar relief in Telangana. In addition, the IMA pushed for the rationalisation of MBBS and postgraduate medical seats in light of the growing number of medical colleges. The letter also appealed for an increase in government job openings to address this issue. Further, the IMA demanded the establishment of a single-window mechanism to streamline hospital registrations, licence renewals, and related approvals. It also sought exemption for medical establishments from the suspension of trade licence enforcement and called for the creation of a dedicated health commission.
Expressing concern over the increasing incidents of violence against healthcare workers, the IMA highlighted the lack of adequate legal measures that safeguard doctors. The association recommended an amendment to existing laws to raise the maximum imprisonment term from three to seven years and make such offences non-bailable, thereby strengthening protection for medical professionals. Additionally, the IMA emphasised the need for training in both legal awareness and physical safety for doctors and healthcare workers to ensure they are better equipped to handle emergencies and threats in the workplace.
