Pune: Demand for Stricter Rules in Private Hospitals Intensifies After Deenanath Hospital Controversy
Pune: Demand for Stricter Rules in Private Hospitals Intensifies After Deenanath Hospital Controversy
Stricter Rules Urged for Private Hospitals After Pune Patient Denied Admission Over Deposit
Following a patient’s death after being denied admission at a Pune hospital, citizens and activists urge stricter implementation of the Nursing Home Registration Act and its 2021 rules.
Public outrage and political pressure are mounting following the recent controversy at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, where a patient was allegedly denied admission for not paying a ₹10 lakh deposit. The woman later died at another facility after delivering twin daughters, sparking widespread condemnation and renewed calls for tighter regulations in private healthcare.
In response, citizens and members of political groups, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are demanding strict enforcement of the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act of 1949 and the Maharashtra Nursing Home Registration (Amended) Rules 2021. Activists have flagged critical lapses in the enforcement of these rules, particularly in transparency and grievance redressal mechanisms at private hospitals.
Dr. Abhijit More, Maharashtra state secretary of AAP, has formally written to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), urging immediate action to hold private hospitals accountable. He stressed the need for hospitals to prominently display information about grievance redressal cells, toll-free complaint helplines, the name of the assigned municipal officer, and a tariff list for 15 key services, including surgery, ICU charges, anaesthesia, and consultation fees at the hospital entrance.
PMC officials stated that the civic body already operates a grievance redressal system, with a dedicated toll-free number 1800 2334151 to report violations related to patient rights and private hospitals. The city has 850 registered hospitals and clinics under the Nursing Home Act.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, PMC received 35 complaints through the helpline, while 23 complaints have already been recorded in the current financial year. The civic body maintains that most hospitals are complying with the norms.
“Hospitals are displaying tariffs, patient rights charters, and grievance contacts. Only 10 are pending, and they will comply soon. We’ve issued show-cause notices to 97 private hospitals for non-compliance,” said Dr. Suryakant Devkar, Assistant Health Chief at PMC.
Health activist Sharad Shetty emphasized that “without active monitoring, accessible public information, and strict punitive action, private hospitals will continue to evade full accountability.”
As calls for reform grow louder, all eyes are on PMC and the state government’s next steps to enforce patient rights and uphold transparency in the private healthcare sector.
