Statewide crackdown under Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act; over 5,000 hospitals flagged
Mumbai: In a landmark move to enforce healthcare accountability, the Maharashtra government has cancelled the registration of 258 private hospitals for violating mandatory provisions of the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949. The action follows extensive inspections conducted by the State Health Department earlier this year.
Health Minister Prakash Abitkar made the announcement during the Question Hour in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday. He stated that the cancelled hospitals had failed to rectify violations despite being served compliance notices, sending a strong message against negligence and unethical practices in the private healthcare sector.
5,134 Hospitals Found Non-Compliant
According to Minister Abitkar, out of 23,354 private hospitals inspected, a staggering 5,134 were found to be in breach of the Act’s provisions. These include lapses in:
- Infrastructure and staffing
- Hygiene and fire safety
- Biomedical waste disposal
- Transparency in treatment costs and billing
- Absence of a grievance redressal system for patients
All the hospitals in breach were issued notices, but 258 failed to comply even after follow-up inspections, leading to their license cancellations.
Annual Inspection Drive Initiated
“This was the first such large-scale inspection across the state, and now it will become an annual exercise,” Abitkar announced, as reported by Akashvani News. He emphasized that the government is committed to ensuring hospitals operate within legal and ethical boundaries.
Act Likely to be Amended for Small Healthcare Facilities
Acknowledging criticism from private doctors and smaller healthcare operators, Abitkar noted that the current Act applies uniformly to large hospitals and smaller units like daycare centres and nursing homes, making compliance difficult for the latter.
“We will bring a new bill in the next legislative session to amend the Act. Smaller facilities may be exempted from certain stringent norms,” said Abitkar, according to HT Media.
This move is expected to offer relief to small-scale healthcare providers, while ensuring that patient safety and transparency are not compromised.
