Centre asks Delhi govt to implement Clinical Establishments Act; says city's labs, AYUSH facilities unregulated

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has asked the Delhi government to implement the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, contending that the functioning of clinics, laboratories, imaging centres and AYUSH facilities in the city are not regulated.

The July 21 letter to the secretary of the city's health department highlighted that the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953, has a limited scope as it covers only hospitals and nursing homes of allopathic systems.

It mentioned that the Government of India notified the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act in March 2012 for mandatory registration and regulation of all types of clinical establishments belonging to all recognised systems of medicine in both government and private sectors.

"In terms of the Schedule to the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, it is not applicable in the NCT of Delhi in view of the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953," the letter said.

The Health Ministry had earlier too asked the Delhi government to implement the Clinical Establishments Act.

"It has been noted that the existing Act in NCT of Delhi has limited scope as it covers only hospitals and nursing homes of allopathic system. Other clinical establishments like clinics, polyclinics, laboratories, imaging centres, and AYUSH clinical establishments are not being regulated under the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953. Because of this, a large number of clinical establishments continue to remain unregulated in NCT of Delhi," the July 21 letter said.

"I may request that the matter may be examined expeditiously at your end, or alternatively, the existing Act (The Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953) may be repealed and the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 may be adopted in the NCT of Delhi," it added.

The letter said the Clinical Establishments Act seeks to standardise health facilities and provision of care based on standard treatment guidelines to improve public health in the country as mandated under Article 47 of the Constitution of India.

The legislation also provides for mandatory emergency medical treatment within staff and facilities available, display of rates, regulation of charges of procedures and services, maintenance of records and provision of statistics and information by clinical establishments, it added.