Centre to fix hospital rates

May 28, 2012 - TEENA THACKER |

New Delhi

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To make healthcare affordable for all, the Union health ministry is planning to define the range of rates a clinical establishment can charge for different procedures and treatments. The plan is to cap healthcare expenses by setting the upper and lower limits for charges.

The rules, likely to be notified this week, will make 'provisional voluntary registration' mandatory for clinical establishments.

The government will come out with 'minimum standards' hospitals will have to adhere to. It will create 25-30 categories depending on manpower, faculty, bed strength in a clinical establishment.

A hospital will be put on the ‘A’ list if it maintains the 'highest' standards. To bring down unnecessary treatment and investigations, there will also be standard guidelines for various conditions.

The rules will ensure any patient coming to a hospital in an emergency condition will be stabilised before s/he is referred to another.

The rules will also facilitate electronic medical record. “This will help transfer the record of a patient to any other hospital hassle-free. Of course, this will require patient consent,” said a ministry official.

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