Hyderabad:A lack of field visits, inspections, and verifications is contributing to unqualified practitioners operating in the medical field in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy, putting the public at risk.
On Sunday, the Telangana Medical Council apprehended Chandrasekhar, who was running an infirmary centre in Ranga Reddy under the name of another doctor. It was found that Chandrasekhar did not hold an MBBS degree and was not a Registered Medical Practitioner. The raid also raised questions about the registration certificate he had acquired from the Ranga Reddy District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO).
While the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy DMHOs denied any lapses on their part, this case sheds light on the serious lack of regulation for medical facilities. Both DMHOs acknowledged that with the growing number of healthcare facilities in the city, it has become increasingly difficult to carry out physical checks and inspections regularly.
“We would not be able to cover all the facilities in the city even if we visited them once a year,” said the Hyderabad DMHO. “There are about 3,000 facilities in Ranga Reddy alone, so regular physical checks are not feasible. At the District Registering Authority, there are only two-three people,” said the Ranga Reddy DMHO.
However, both DMHOs have initiated surveys, inspections, and awareness campaigns in their respective areas to help medical practitioners understand the requirements of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010.
Hyderabad district alone has approximately 2,919 establishments registered under the Act. In 2022, a government order made it mandatory for all clinical facilities, including private clinics, nursing homes, and hospitals, to be registered under the Act. Prior to this, they were registered under the Telangana State Allopathic Private Medical Care Establishments Registration and Regulation Act, 2002.
The procedure to apply for the facilities is also lengthy and time consuming. The applicants must approach the DMHO with all the required documents, which include building licenses, lease documents, fire safety NOCs, and credentials of doctors and other staff members. A provisional registration certificate is issued, valid for one year. After submitting the necessary documents for each service offered, applicants can apply for permanent registration, valid for five years. Multi-specialty hospitals need to apply for separate licenses for each specialty, requiring additional documentation.
Hyderabad has about 464 facilities with provisional registrations, and 89 are due for renewal, according to data shared by the DMHO.
“We are organising an awareness campaign on Tuesday at Harihara Kala Bhavan to educate private medical facilities about the Act and its requirements. Lack of awareness is causing many issues at the administrative level,” said Dr. J. Venkati, DMHO Hyderabad. “Some facilities lack a fire safety NOC, others do not have a trade license from the municipality. All such documents must be in place for a facility to operate with valid certifications,” he added.
Meanwhile, the doctor whose name Chandrasekhar used to operate the clinic has denied any affiliation. “I have never worked in that area. I am currently an assistant professor in a government hospital. I previously practiced in a few private hospitals but never owned a private clinic,” the doctor told Deccan Chronicle.
This situation raises questions about whether proper verifications were conducted at the DMHO level before providing the certificate.