Pvt hosps across state to now pay fixed regn & renewal fees

MUMBAI: Private hospitals in Maharashtra will now have a standardized fixed sum for renewal and registration fees, which is a departure from the previous system where the fees varied and were determined by the respective municipal corporations.
Depending on the corporation or the districts, private setups would pay anywhere between Rs 100 and Rs 50,000 for registration and renewals every few years.
Private hospitals initially welcomed the idea of a fixed fee, which was included in the amended Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Rules of 2021. However, they have been engaged in negotiations with the government to revise the fee slabs. Initially, the state had set the fees at Rs 5,000 for nursing homes within Grade A municipal corporation limits, Rs 4,000 for Grade B, and Rs 3,000 for Grade C. However, due to the insistence of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and nursing home owners, the state has now decided to charge a blanket fee of Rs 1,000 for urban areas and Rs 500 for rural areas. It has also agreed that registrations would happen every five years, instead of three.
During a state-wide meeting between IMA members and the government on Monday, the key changes introduced in the Rules were discussed and debated. One significant change is the decision to grant registration to all daycare medical centres, which were previously not registered under the Nursing Home Act.
Dr Santosh Kadam of IMA said the uniformity in registration fees will be a relief for private setups. Dr Shivkumar Utture, vice-president of IMA, said the state has also agreed to reconsider the specific space and infrastructure requirements for hospitals. “The state has agreed that existing hospitals don’t have to adhere to these norms, but new hospitals would be required to do so,” he added.
Additionally, the state has agreed to reconsider the clause regarding allowing nursing staff with degrees in registered centres.