Will set limits on what a hospital can charge: Health Minister Azad

[Guest guest]

Will set limits on what a hospital can charge: Health Minister Azad

Teena Thacker

Posted: Wednesday, Mar 16, 2011 at 0157 hrs IST

New Delhi: In the name of streamlining the cost of hospital care, Union Health

Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said today that the government is planning to fix a

band by defining the upper and lower limit of what can be charged by hospitals

for procedures and treatment.

This band, officials said, will depend on the facilities that a hospital

provides.

" There will be a categorization of hospitals keeping in view its size, the

equipment, faculty and doctors available in the institution. The range of rates

will be fixed for a procedure.

It can't be unending. For instance, for a heart surgery, the fee could range

from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,000, it can't be Rs 4 lakh or Rs 5 lakh. That (these

rates) will have to be published and put on the notice board, " Azad said in the

Rajya Sabha today.

While there will be a minimum standard that hospitals will have to adhere to, a

hospital will be categorised in the " A " list if it maintains the " highest "

standards. " If some institution does not comply with what has been published,

then the District Collector will take action against that institution, " said

Azad.

These rules, under the Clinical Establishment Act, will be notified once all

states come on board. As of now, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and

Mizoram have given their nod.

The rules also envisage setting up a National Council under the Director General

of Health Services (DGHS) which will classify and develop standards for clinical

establishments.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/will-set-limits-on-what-a-hospital-can-char\

ge-health-minister-azad/763053/0