Telangana Hospitals Face Regulatory Void as Council Lapses

The tenure of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Council in Telangana has lapsed for over a year, placing hospitals across the state in a precarious position without an active regulatory body. This situation has prompted the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) to call for immediate action from the state government to dissolve the expired council and establish a new one with appropriate representation from various medical and professional organizations.

The council, which was formed under the Clinical Establishments Act (CEA), plays a crucial role in standardising safety and quality norms within hospitals. Its responsibilities include ensuring compliance with essential regulations related to fire safety, biomedical waste management, and municipal guidelines. However, following the end of the previous council’s term in March 2024, no new appointments have been made, leading to concerns from healthcare professionals.

According to a private hospital administrator in Hyderabad, “Without a functioning council, smaller hospitals have no channel to raise issues related to licensing or compliance delays.” The HRDA has specifically requested that the newly constituted body incorporates members from significant organizations such as the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC), Telangana Government Doctors’ Association (TGGDA), and the Telangana Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (THANA).

The association has also advocated for a streamlined single-window system that would unify all necessary clearances and establish graded compliance norms. These norms would differentiate between the requirements for small to mid-sized hospitals and those for larger corporate entities. The HRDA emphasized that while doctors support safety regulations, the existing system has become overly bureaucratic. “We support safety, not suffocating bureaucracy. Telangana needs clear, patient-friendly regulations that help rather than hinder hospitals,” the HRDA stated.

In an effort to address the regulatory gap, doctors’ associations have suggested that the state government consider the approaches adopted by Haryana and Bihar, where hospitals with fewer than 50 beds are exempt from full CEA compliance. Medical professionals have voiced concerns that the absence of a functioning council has led to uncertainty within the healthcare sector, with no updates on new norms or audits. An HRDA representative noted, “Hospitals are running in a grey zone; rules exist on paper, but no one is empowered to interpret or enforce them.”

The current regulatory vacuum is raising alarms among healthcare providers, who fear that patient care may suffer due to a lack of oversight. With the council’s dissolution, hospitals find themselves navigating complex compliance issues without guidance, potentially putting both staff and patients at risk. As the situation unfolds, the HRDA continues to advocate for swift action to reconstitute a regulatory body that can effectively oversee the healthcare landscape in Telangana.