18 July 2011
By M Shabnam
Patna, India
The state cabinet has given nod to the Medical Service Institution and Personal Protection Bill for tabling it in the ongoing session of the Assembly
The Bihar government gave its nod to the Medical Service Institution and Personal Protection Bill and Clinical Establishment (registration and regulation) Act.
The two important Bills will be placed in the ongoing session of the State Assembly to rein in erring nursing homes and provide protection to those involved in medical profession.
The state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar approved the state Health Department’s proposals for Medicare Service Institution and Persons Protection Bill 2011 and The Clinical establishment (Registration and Regulation) Bill 2011, official sources said.
The cabinet, which decided to repeal the earlier Clinical Establishment Act, passed in 2007, decided to adopt the central legislation of Clinical Establishment Act, 2010, in the state.
Sources said all old and new nursing homes would be given permission to run their institutions for one year during which they would have to fulfill all requisite criteria in the Act.
The proposed Medical Protection Bill incorporates the provision of making an attack on doctors a cognisable offence and those indulging in vandalism against doctors and nursing homes would have to pay double the amount of damage caused during the protest, sources said.
Welcoming the cabinet decision, Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) General Secretary Ajay Kumar said, “The Medical Protection Act was long awaited and the government has finally accepted that doctors in Bihar need a special Act to protect them."
"There are about 7,000 to 8,000 private clinic and nursing homes being run in the state by qualified doctors or corporates," Kumar said.
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