Conduct inspections to regulate hospitals, clinical establishments: Govt to officials

SRINAGAR, NOV 24: The government has directed the concerned agencies to carry out inspections of hospitals and clinical establishments with the aim of regulating and ensuring their proper operationalisation in Jammu and Kashmir.
There are over 50 private hospitals and nursing homes registered with the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir (DHSK). Besides there are hundreds of clinical establishments including IVF centres operating in the valley.

A senior official said the government has directed concerned agencies to carry out inspections of all hospitals and clinical establishments in the valley.
Private hospitals have to undergo monitoring similar to government hospitals, with a commitment to regular facility inspections, according to officials.
“The lack of rate regulations in private hospitals allows proprietors to charge patients arbitrarily, while variations in tests occur in privately run medical labs. The mandatory requirement for doctors to obtain counsel registration is often overlooked by non-local doctors practising in Valley’s private hospitals, as they bypass the verification process by the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir and the Medical Council of India,” the official added.
On directives of Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Mohammad Aijaz Asad, concerned officials recently carried out an inspection of various clinical establishments in the city aimed to curb the proliferation of ill-equipped pathological and microbiological laboratories and clinical establishments lacking infrastructure and technical expertise.
“Identifying deficiencies in some IVF centres, the teams issued directives to rectify the shortcomings within weeks, warning of sealing orders if not complied with. To prevent overcharging for diagnostic tests, the rates of various pathologic tests were also verified,” the official added.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Aijaz Asad recently emphasized the need for intensified inspections to ensure clinical establishments adhere to guidelines, providing satisfactory service to patients. He urged medical practitioners, chemists, and druggists in the private sector to strictly follow guidelines, norms, and medical ethics.
The DC called on the Health Department to conduct frequent inspections, prioritizing patient care.