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PMC issues show-cause notice to four private hospitals for violation of nursing home norms
These hospitals are located in Shivajinagar and Dhankawdi, and were identified during a month-long drive conducted within the PMC limits, officials said
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued show-cause notice to four private hospitals in the city for alleged violation of the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act, 1949, and Maharashtra Nursing Home Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2021, officials said.
The PMC issued notice to these hospitals on Tuesday, May 5; they are located in Shivajinagar and Dhankawdi, and were identified during a month-long drive conducted within the PMC limits, officials said. The PMC had started a suo moto inspection of hospitals registered with the civic body in July this year, and as many as 265 such hospitals and nursing homes were inspected.
Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health officer, PMC, said that the four private hospitals issued notice were allegedly found operating without Nursing Home Act compliance. “Two hospitals were found operating without a valid fire no-objection certificate (NOC) and complaint book for patients. A couple of hospitals have failed to put up a treatment tariff and patients’ charter of rights,” he said.
Dr Devkar further informed that the said hospitals have been given a period of one month to complete compliance. “Post compliance, they have to submit a compliance report to us. The ward medical officers will conduct a reinspection of these hospitals. In case of failure, stringent action will be taken against them as per provisions of the Nursing Home Act,” he said.
Whereas Dr Sanjay Patil, national secretary, Hospital Board of India, said that the scope of the inspection by the PMC is unclear and needs to be well-defined, including the level at which it should be conducted. “Many hospitals have applied for the fire NOC but face technical issues with the online system. If an application is submitted by the hospital, it should be treated as compliance, even if the document is pending. Not all hospitals can display a large number of treatment traffic and patients’ charter of rights. Moreover, the PMC must be sensitive when considering the complaints received against private hospitals,” he said.
There are as many as 876 nursing homes and hospitals registered with the PMC. The ward medical officers of the PMC conduct inspections, and notices are issued to hospitals found violating the norms. Inspection of all 876 hospitals registered with the PMC will be completed by August, officials said.
