AP MOVES TO REIN IN PVT MEDICAL FIRMS

In order to curb anomalies as well as ensure better healthcare services to the people in private hospitals, the Andhra Pradesh government intends to set up a 16-member statelevel advisory committee with special chief secretary/principal secretary, health, as the exofficio chairman. It will have 10 nominated members from stakeholder associations like IMA, Consumer Forum and others in the state.

The state government has issued an order recently to constitute the panel. It will have an additional secretary, law, deputy secretary, women development and child welfare, and deputy secretary, social welfare, as members and commissioner, health and family welfare, as the member-convener.

Among 10 nominated members, there will be two each will be deputed by Indian Medical Association and AP Nursing Homes Association, two eminent doctors, one from District Consumer Forum, a social activist, a health professional and a professional from women welfare. The term of office of all nominated members will be three years.

The YSRC government will implement the AP Allopathic Private Medical Care Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2002 as amended twice in 2006 for the first time since the bifurcation of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, to ensure accountability in the functioning of all private establishments rendering health care and services.

The state government faced a tough time during the outbreak of the first wave of Coronavirus pandemic as patients complained about a series of irregularities including overcharging for Covid care at the private hospitals, and so is the case in the second wave of the pandemic as well. Following a spate of complaints, the vigilance and enforcement authorities have booked 89 private hospitals and penalised 66 hospitals to the tune of Rs 9.90 crore by June 3, indicating the enormity of violation of norms.

There are nearly 8,825 private medical care establishments under 11 categories including hospitals, diagnostic labs and others in the state at present.

The upcoming state-level panel has to regulate them all, from registration to day-to-day functioning to implementation of acts, health schemes and directions from the state government.