Clinical Establishments Bill may be a source of corruption

New Delhi, Jan 4 (UNI) Implementing the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2007 may not only bring about a control regime in the healthcare sector but also prove to be a source of corruption, fears the industry.

Industry chamber CII today urged the Centre to consult all State Governments and more importantly the stakeholders before implementing the Bill ''It is pertinent to involve the largest stakeholder - the private sector in these consultations,'' CII said in a statement.

It further said that some provisions of the Bill need to be reconsidered since they will augment the scope for paperwork, bureaucracy and delays.

The display of information for the public at large for filing objections may invite undesirable complaints from rival institutions and disgruntled patients solely to harass an organisation making successful running of an institution very cumbersome.

The provisions relating to power to enter for inspection or inquiry is undesirable and may be reconsidered, it added.

It suggested that inorder to ensure 'minimum standards of facilities and services', there should be accreditation programmes before registration of any hospital, laboratory, radiology practices, be it in the government or the private sector.

The Bill aims for a national footprint by providing for the registration and regulation of clinical establishments in the country with a view to prescribe minimum standards of facilities and services which may be provided by them.

Its scope is currently restricted to only Union territories and four states.

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