Members of Tamil Nadu Government Doctor’s Association (TNGDA) have urged the State government to make amendments to the Private Clinical Establishment Act introduced by the Central government.
The members claimed that the provisions of the Act were too stringent to be complied with and would not be appropriate for a State like Tamil Nadu. Around 60 per cent of doctors practising in rural areas were government doctors. In case, they planned to set up private clinics after their retirement, they would be required to rent a building in order to run a clinic, and so could not meet the existing provisions under the Act, they added.
Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, K. Senthil, State president of the TNGDA, said, “If private clinics registered under the Act are set up in rural areas, the cost of medical care would rise thus affecting the poor and the needy.”
Though it was a welcome move to bring all private clinics under the purview of the Act, the norms needed to be flexible, he added.
Dr. Senthil said that the Act was introduced in 2006 and was later revised in 2010 after which the Central government directed all the States to implement it.
As per the Act, all private, government hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres, including Ayurvedic, allopathic and homeopathis ones, were required to register themselves under it.
About surprise inspections carried out by officials of Medical Council of India, he said that the officials must verify the absence of a doctor on leave and not consider it as a vacancy or shortage of staff at the hospital, as it would lead to de-recognition of the medical college hospital.
The association also appealed to the management of all government hospitals in the State to utilise the funds allotted under Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme to provide basic amenities, including drinking water in all the wards and proper bed sheets to the patients.
