Jan Arogya Abhiyan (JAA), a network of health workers and activists in the state, has demanded that the Central government’s Clinical Establishment (CE) Act, be made specific to Maharashtra.
The Act was passed by Parliament in 2010 and notified in early 2012. It has already come into force in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim and all the union territories since March 1.
The CE Act provides for mandatory registration of all clinical establishments, both in the public and private sector. The registering authority can impose fines for non-compliance. It will facilitate policy formulation, resource allocation and determine standards of treatment, in addition to helping create an accurate database of such facilities available in the country. The Act will also lay down standard treatment guidelines for common disease conditions.
However, Maharashtra is yet to implement the Act, which has constantly been opposed by various associations of doctors. JAA is in favour of the Act, albeit certain alterations.
Founder member and convenor of JAA, Dr Aanant Phadke said, “Maharashtra still has the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act (BNHRA) 1949, which is not just on paper, but also redundant now. Now, Maharashtra is set to adopt the CE Act, which we are in support of, but not in totality. It should be tailored for Maharashtra to make it transparent and more accountable.”
The Act proposes that all the powers will be vested with the Directorate of Health Services (DHS). JAA has argued that it will make the Act more bureaucratic if all the stakeholders in the healthcare sector are not involved. “Apart from making it more bureaucratic, it creates scope for more red-tapism. Moreover, DHS in already short-staffed and poorly funded; weighing it with more responsibility will make it messier,” said Dr Phadke.
To further its cause, JAA will also start a telegram campaign, before it is shut down forever. “We conceived the idea of sending telegrams to both, the Central health minister Gulam Nabi Azad and the state health minister Suresh Shetty by July 13 from all over the state, before it is scrapped. Along with telegrams, we will also be sending text messages,” said Suhas Kolhekar, convenor of JAA.
Commenting on the demands of JAA, health minister Suresh Shetty, said, “We will hold another round of deliberations with all the stakeholders. Moreover, the Central government is yet to frame the rules for the Act.”