H&ME orders strict action against unregistered private nursing homes, clinics

Srinagar, June 21: The Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department has ordered strict action against the unregistered private nursing homes and clinics that do not have requisite facilities to adhere to quality patient services and safety.
The move comes after the Administrative Department learned that private nursing homes, polyclinics, and other health facilities are either not registered with the concerned District Registering Authorities or don’t have requisite facilities as mandated under law.
The health department has issued an order and viewed the complaints seriously and highlighted the health facilities that aren’t registered with the concerned district authority.
The order impressed upon private nursing homes, polyclinics, and other health facilities to adhere to minimum prescribed standards of facilities and services, human resources, records as envisaged under the Clinical Establishment Act, 2010 within a period of 15 days.
It said any violation in this regard shall be viewed seriously by the Administrative Department.
“Besides the District Registering Authorities shall conduct inspection of all the private nursing homes/polyclinics/other health facilities falling within their competent jurisdiction and submit its report to the Administrative Department within three weeks,” the order said.
“The authority or an officer authorized shall have right to cause an inspection of or inquiry in respect of any registered clinical establishment, its building, laboratories and equipment and also of the work conducted or done by the clinical establishment, to be made by such multi-member inspection team as it may direct and to cause an inquiry to be made in respect of any other matter connected with the clinical establishment and that establishment shall be entitled to be represented thereat,” the order said.
It said the authority shall communicate to the clinical establishment the views of that authority with reference to results of such inspections or inquiry and may, after ascertaining the opinion of clinical establishment thereon, advise that establishment upon action to be taken.
“The clinical establishment shall report to the authority, the action, if any, which is proposed to be taken or has been taken upon the results of such inspection or inquiry and such report shall be furnished within such time, as the authority may direct,” the order said.
Where the clinical establishment does not, within a reasonable time, take action to the satisfaction of the authority, it may, after considering any explanation furnished or representation made by the clinical establishment, issue such directions within such time as indicated in the direction, as that authority deems fit, and the clinical establishment shall comply with such directions.
Further, it said in terms of Section 10 of the Clinical Establishment Act, 2010, the Health and Medical Education Department has notified the District Registering Authority for the purpose of registration of clinical establishments.
The Clinical Establishments Act 2010 covers various aspects such as infrastructure requirements, qualifications and staffing norms for healthcare professionals, maintenance of medical records, and adherence to standard treatment protocols.