It is illegal to run a hospital or a clinic without first registering with Health Ministry and Bengaluru has around 15,000 private medical establishments that are running without registration. This essentially flouts the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act 2009.
Pic: Sankar C G
But the doctors who run these clinics seem to be unaware of the process. “I have not registered my clinic anywhere because I didn’t know about it. I don’t have any kind of certificates from medical waste management, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board or BBMP,” says Dr. Asha D. Patil of Santhi clinic in Kengeri.
KPME Act 2009 was formulated to monitor private medical establishments in Karnataka and ensure quality healthcare to people. According to this Act, all hospitals and clinics should be registered with the health ministry.
Registration is given to private establishments only if they maintain hygiene, proper ventilation, sanitation, medical records and biomedical waste disposal according to the standards mentioned in the Act.
“Every person desiring to establish, run, maintain or continue to run and maintain a private medical establishment should apply to the district health officer along with a fee for registration as per the rule,” said M. Thimmappa, District Health Officer.
“They also need to submit certificates of bio-medical waste management, BBMP trade license and pollution control board’s no objection certificate before it starts working,” he added.
There are 24 private medical hospitals in Kengeri out of which less than 10 hospitals follow the law, according to District Health Office records in Bangalore.
Thimmappa says though the applications were issued only a few were filed. “We have sold 7,780 application forms so far, out of which only 4,780 applications have been filled and returned,” said Thimmappa. “The clinics, hospitals and other medical establishments are increasing in Bangalore enormously but yet to receive application from them for registration. We informed them about the registration procedures through different channels but it was of no use,” he adds.
Instances of unqualified doctors
“We have caught nearly 200 similar cases in the previous year in Bangalore as they were functioning without registration and in some instances the doctors were fake,” says Thimmappa. ⊕
This article comes to Citizen Matters as part of an arrangement with Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media – IIJNM. Versions of this article originally appeared in The Oberver and http://thesoftcopy.in/
Try registering any shop and establishment ! the bribe amounts that one has to fork out for a license is so huge that you have to cheat in business to make good these amounts ! Al this talk of issuing forms etc is all ‘bakwas’ they just need bucks to keep their seats ! So please research both ends before you publish your story.
Running private clinics without them being registered under the law should not be permitted. Exemplary action should be taken by the regulatory authorities against all those who endanger the safety of citizens and undermine patient safety and patient rights.