Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee to bring special bill to monitor private hospitals, nursing homes
The chief minister said that the government has already initiated action against 103 private hospitals.
In Short
- Mamata is bringing a special bill to form a West Bengal Health Regulatory Commission to monitor private hospitals, nursing homes.
- She asked hospitals to be "humane" and "ethical".
- Govt has already initiated action against 103 private hospitals.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is bringing a special bill on March 3rd to form a West Bengal Health Regulatory Commission for monitoring the activities of private hospitals and nursing homes.
In a meeting with hospitals' authorities, Mamata asked them to be "humane" and "ethical," and not to treat medical service as any other business. "This is not a factory. I am not asking you to treat patients, free of cost. At the same time, I won't accept if you go for 100% profit," she said.
The chief minister said that the government has already initiated action against 103 private hospitals.
Also read: Mamata govt announces relief for those adversely affected by demonetistaion
Once the Commission is set up, it will have a direct access to the various activities of the private units.
Mamata said that she was aware of how the private hospitals were fleecing patients and harassing the patients with exaggerated billing, unnecessary laboratory and pathological tests and prescribing high-end medicines from their pharmacy.
Warning that the government will not spare any errant hospital, she said that the Clinical Establishment Bill will be strengthened to book the nursing homes, found flouting rules.