Nagpur: State govt’s proposed Maharashtra Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2026 has received broader support from medical fraternity for its focus on improving patient safety, transparency and quality of healthcare. However, city doctors and hospital associations have urged the govt to ensure that the law applies uniformly to both private and govt hospitals while cautioning that excessive compliance requirements could place a heavy financial burden on small and standalone healthcare facilities, ultimately affecting affordable patient care.The Bill, tabled in the state legislature on July 3, seeks to replace the Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, and bring private hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centres, pathology laboratories and day-care centres under a single regulatory framework. It proposes mandatory registration, minimum infrastructure and staffing standards, display of treatment charges, emergency stabilisation of patients irrespective of their ability to pay, periodic inspections and a charter of patients’ rights. Govt-run hospitals, however, have been kept outside its ambit.Dr Anup Marar, convener of Vidarbha Hospitals Association, said the objective of strengthening patient safety and quality standards is commendable. He, however, warned that compliance with multiple infrastructure and regulatory requirements could prove financially challenging for small nursing homes and standalone hospitals that receive no govt subsidy. He also questioned the exclusion of govt hospitals from the proposed law, saying a comprehensive healthcare regulatory framework can succeed only if uniform standards are applied across both public and private sectors to ensure equitable quality of care.Dr Uday Bodhankar, executive director, COMHAD UK, described the Bill as a progressive reform that modernises an outdated law and introduces important provisions such as mandatory registration, minimum standards, patient rights, transparent display of charges and periodic inspections. However, he said exempting govt hospitals creates two different standards of regulation. Every patient, irrespective of where treatment is sought, deserves the same level of safety, accountability and quality of care, he said, adding public hospitals, which handle a large share of the state’s patient load, should also undergo regular quality audits and infrastructure assessments.Dr Tushar Gawad, unit head, KIMS-Kingsway Hospitals, echoed similar concerns, saying the proposed legislation would strengthen public trust by promoting transparency and accountability in private healthcare. He said private hospitals already provide emergency assessment, stabilisation and life-saving treatment irrespective of a patient’s financial status as part of their ethical responsibility. However, he urged the govt to introduce a transparent reimbursement mechanism for expenses incurred by private hospitals while providing such emergency care to ensure that the service remains financially sustainable.
