The IMA also also said that the Bill was discriminatory because it does not bring public sector hospitals into its ambit. “The private sector covers 80% of the health sector, and are filling in for the government,” said Ajaikumar. “They do not mind lower standards for public sector, whereas higher standards for us.”
Health Minister Kumar said that the government already works under a framework under the Directorate of Health Services that keeps their establishments accountable. Besides, the standards for the hospitals are already set by the central government under the Indian Public Health Standards.
Shukla disagrees on this count and believes that public health facilities, which have additional responsibilities of providing free immunisation, carrying out disease surveillance and handling epidemics, can also be held to the same standards as private facilities. “While we can agree public medical facilities need to have standards and should be regulated, we should perhaps have a caveat that they cannot shut down if the standards are not met,” he said. “The drop in standards should be treated as an emergency and should be improved.”
Other activists agree that there should be better standards for government hospitals too, but since more people access private hospitals, they need to be more transparent.
“We direct people who ask for our help to the public sector, but often the private hospitals are nearby,” said Gauri from Mahila Munnade, a women’s rights organisation. “Many women have complained that they have been given exorbitant bills. We have not been able to get any help for them. We need the government to have some control over them.”
Said Vasan, “If [private medical establishments] provide 80% care in the health sector, then you should also be regulated democratically accountable.”
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