The public and private health facilities in the country will soon be under the clinical establishment (regulations and restrictions) act, 2010, which was passed in the parliament last year. The health ministry is in the process of formulating rules for the same.

All hospitals in the country will be registered with the government and their bed strength, types of equipment they have, number of doctors, nurses and paramedics will be given at the time of registration. 

“This is a revolutionary step. Based on this information, the hospitals will be categorized. The kind of treatment each category hospital can offer will also be notified,” said health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Under the act, the cost of treatment at all private hospitals will also be regulated, however, the minister did not elaborate on how his ministry will do it.

“The private hospitals will not be able to charge exhorbitant prices for the treatment they offer. Their cost will be slightly higher than what the government hospitals charge,” said Azad.

Each hospital will have to put a chart of the type of treatments offered, cost of treatments and list of equipments it has.