[india-drug] Centre plans SOPs to regulate private healthcare institutions

[Sunitha Srinivas <s.srinivas@ru.ac.za>]

(The following URL http://www.jcaho.org/ provides information on
accreditation followed in USA??.SS)

(Source?.Pharmabiz. Thanks?.SS)

Centre plans SOPs to regulate private healthcare institutions
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Tuesday, January 20, 2004 08:00 IST 
Joe C Mathew, New Delhi

The proposed Central Legislation on regulating private healthcare
sector is likely to prescribe standard operating procedures (SOPs) for
nursing homes and hospitals in the country, it is learnt. The
legislation, the draft of which is being prepared, would lay down norms
for assessment, accreditation, inspection, certification and regulation
of all clinical establishments. It will also make maintenance of
records in such establishments mandatory. 

The central government has identified the absence of SOPs as one of the
major problems in optimizing the services of private healthcare sector.
The absence of regulations also made it difficult to achieve this goal.


Speaking to Pharmabiz.com, Dr SP Agarwal, director general of Health
Services (DGHS) informed that the nursing home regulation Bill would
address most of the problems related to private healthcare segment. He
felt that the centre should also think of a high profile Medical
Accreditation Commission to upgrade the status of healthcare
establishments in the country. While the SOPs will lay down the minimum
standards required for clinical establishments, the desirable standards
can be prescribed by the commission, he felt. The proposed legislation
will not talk about the commission, he added. 

Dr Agarwal felt that optimal utilization of the existing public sector
health care facilities, and strong regulation of the private healthcare
sector can bring in tremendous changes in the functioning of the
country's healthcare delivery mechanism. 

"The ongoing capacity building programme in the drugs sector would
bring about significant positive changes in drug regulatory sector of
the country. The focus on generic drugs by healthcare establishments
would further the cause of affordable healthcare delivery to the
masses," he pointed out. 

It is known that the proposed legislation would contain a provision to
ask the state governments to establish a state-level council to
regulate the activities of clinical establishments. Several states like
NCT of Delhi, Sikkim, Assam, Madhya Pradesh etc already have
legislations in place to regulate the private sector healthcare
establishments


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