Doctors protest Govt prescriptions for medical fraternity

Mumbai, July 1:

A family doctor in South Mumbai will find it impossible to have a 500 square-feet-area clinic, given the prohibitive real-estate costs in the city.

The doctors medical skill notwithstanding, he or she could still end up on the wrong side of the law, say doctors protesting the recently notified Clinical Establishment Act (2010).

The Act sets out to standardise practices in the patients interest, say Health Ministry officials. But doctors say the Act was passed without discussion, and as a result, is not in touch with ground realities.

In fact, it puts the responsibility of a patient entirely at the doctors door-step, even when it should be shouldered by the Government, they say.

As a result, a well-intended law stands caught in the cross-fire, as doctors protest this and two other Government initiatives, affecting the medical fraternity.

The Clinical Establishments Act sets out to regulate private hospitals and clinics, ensuring that no centre is run without registration etc. A key achievement of this Act was that no person be refused emergency treatment.

A doctor has to stabilise the patient and send him or her across to the nearest referral hospital - failing which, a non-bailable warrant could be issued against the doctor, points out the Indian Medical Associations immediate past-President, Dr Vinay Aggarwal, adding that the penalties are draconian.

The problem is the lack of emergency services in the country, but the Government wants to put this responsibility on a practising doctor, Dr Aggarwal told Business Line.

There is no clarity on the definition of stabilise and who bears the cost of such emergency services. A ventilator costs about Rs 15 lakh-20 lakh, he says. Even the Government-run smaller centres lack such facilities, he adds.

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Doctors protest Govt prescriptions for medical fraternity