MP govt cancels licenses of 60 pvt hospitals due to lack of doctors, facilities

The Madhya Pradesh health department cancelled the licenses of as many as 60 hospitals after finding irregularities and violations under the MP Nursing Homes and Clinical Establishment Act 1973 and Rules 1997, said a health official on Sunday.

The health department also sent show-cause notices to 301 hospitals in the state and asked them to improve the facilities and appoint at least three doctors each with MBBS degrees.

After over 4,000 people died during the second wave of Covid-19, the health department inspected 692 hospitals to investigate complaints of private hospitals charging extra money and not providing any facilities, including oxygen and medicines.

“In the internal probe of health department, it was found that many people died due to delay in treatment and poor treatment at private hospitals. The inspection was done by chief medical and health officers in 52 districts in June and July. They found grave irregularities at 60 hospitals, including 24 in Gwalior region and 10 in Bhopal region,” Vishwas Sarang, medical education department minister.

“In many hospitals, the team didn’t find any resident doctors. Most of them employed homeopaths and Ayush doctors while qualified allopathic doctors were just visiting doctors. In many hospitals, the team didn’t find ICUs and operation theatres, oxygen equipped beds, ventilators and other basic facilities,” said the minister.

Now, these hospitals will have to apply for licenses again after improving their facilities.

The state government will declare only well-equipped hospitals as Covid-dedicated in August.

However, health experts and activists have demanded criminal action against the administrations of the disqualified hospitals.

“We were running a helpline during the second wave of Covid-19 to help people find suitable hospitals, oxygen and medicines. We received scores of complaints against private hospitals for not having qualified doctors and other facilities,” said Seema Kurup, a Bhopal-based activist.

“They would admit patients and give them normal medicines but when their condition would deteriorate, they would refer them to other hospitals. Many people died due to this negligence. The cancellation of licenses is not enough to punish these people,” she added.

Another health activist SR Azad said, “These people should be booked under Section 304 (death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.”

The Opposition also attacked the state government for giving licenses to substandard hospitals. “Who has given licenses to these hospitals? Why didn’t CMHO inspect the facilities regularly? Why did the government show more dependency on private hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19 patients? These are some questions which also need to be answered by the state government. To hide their mistakes, the state government is shifting blame on private hospitals,” said JP Dhanopia, spokesperson, MP Congress Committee.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the MP government took action against sub-standard hospitals to improve health facilities in the state for the first time. “For the first time, MP government took such a tough action, and it should be appreciated. Why is Congress so sympathetic towards substandard private hospitals? They should also give this answer,” said Rajneesh Agrawal, spokesperson, BJP. Hindustan Times