Registration for diagnostic, nursing centres soon

Private hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centres will soon require mandatory registration with the government.

A draft bill to this effect is being considered by the Union Cabinet, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said in New Delhi at a national summit on 'Public Health Initiatives: PPP Model' organised by Assocham.

"The Clinical Establishment Act was sent for cabinet approval last week. We are expecting it to be cleared

by the Budget Session," the minister said.

"We will give two years to these health centres for applying for mandatory registration," he said.

The legislation will set standards for operating these centres. "The parameters will apply to a hospital which has 500 or 5000 beds. It will also apply to diagnostic centres. Right now, a person gets two different reports if they go to two centres for blood tests. We have to standardise this," he said.