Lack of doctors, facilities: MP Govt cancels licenses of 60 private hospitals

Written by Sanchari Chattopadhyay Published On 2021-08-05T10:00:00+05:30 | Updated On 5 Aug 2021 10:00 AM IST

Lack of doctors, facilities: MP Govt cancels licenses of 60 private hospitals

Bhopal: Coming down heavily on private healthcare facilities for alleged irregularities and violations under the MP Nursing Homes and Clinical Establishment Act 1973 and Rules 1997, the Madhya Pradesh health department has cancelled the licenses of 60 private hospitals and nursing home across the state.

As per media accounts, among the facilities, 10 of them are situated in Bhopal and 24 are in Gwalior. The health department has also submitted show-cause notices to more than 300 hospitals in the state after finding deficiencies in the facilities. The authorities directed them to work on improving the infrastructures of the facilities and to appoint at least three doctors with MBBS degrees.

All hospitals inspected in Indore city have passed the required standards during the inspection.

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This came after the Health Department investigated 692 hospitals based on complaints and media reports. The number of private nursing homes has snowballed during the Covid-19 pandemic and in Bhopal alone, 100 new hospitals were registered.

As per officials, many of these hospitals failed to provide adequate treatment and even violated the Nursing Home Act. After receiving "continuous complaints" against the nursing homes, Bhopal's chief medical and health officer, Dr Prabhakar Tiwari decided to initiate an inspection across the state and issued notice to nine nursing homes in Bhopal on June 16, reports Times of India.

Thereafter, the process of scrutiny accelerated and finally, authorities canceled the license of 60 private facilities. "In the internal probe of the health department, it was found that many people died due to delay in treatment and poor treatment at private hospitals. The inspection was done by chief medical and health officers in 52 districts in June and July", Vishwas Sarang, medical education department minister told Hindustan Times.

"In many hospitals, the team didn't find any resident doctors. Most of them employed homeopaths and Ayush doctors while qualified allopathic doctors were just visiting doctors. In many hospitals, the team didn't find ICUs and operation theatres, oxygen equipped beds, ventilators, and other basic facilities," said the minister.

These hospitals, which came under the radar of the health authorities, will reportedly have to apply for licenses again after improving their facilities. Only well-equipped hospitals will be termed as Covid-dedicated facilities in August. However, health experts and activists have demanded that criminal action should be incurred against the administrations of the disqualified hospitals.

"We were running a helpline during the second wave of Covid-19 to help people find suitable hospitals, oxygen and medicines. We received scores of complaints against private hospitals for not having qualified doctors and other facilities," stated Seema Kurup, a Bhopal-based activist.

She also informed the daily that many hospitals would admit patients and keep them on normal medication. The hospitals would only transfer them when their condition used to get worse. Many people died due to this negligence. Another health activist SR Azad said, "These people should be booked under Section 304 (death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code."

Commenting on the massive step taken by the state authorities to improve the standards of the private healthcare facilities,Rajneesh Agrawal, spokesperson, BJP told HT, "For the first time, MP government took such a tough action, and it should be appreciated."

private hospitalsMP hospitalsCOVIDmadhya pradeshMP Nursing Homes and Clinical Establishment Actayush doctorslicense cancellationallopathic doctors

Source : with inputs

Sanchari Chattopadhyay

Sanchari Chattopadhyay has pursued her M.A in English and Culture Studies from the University of Burdwan, West Bengal. She likes observing cultural specificities and exploring new places.