MUMBAI, July 4 -- To modernise the healthcare regulatory framework in the state, the Maharashtra government tabled a new legislation on Friday, replacing a seven-decades-old law. The Maharashtra Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) bill, a critical element in a proposed new healthcare policy, was tabled by state public health minister Prakash Abitkar in the state legislative assembly on Friday. The sweeping new law, reported by HT on May 14, will cover all clinical establishments, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and diagnostic laboratories, and virtually the entire healthcare sector. It aims to ensure accountability and transparency among institutions, and enhance patients' rights by guaranteeing access to information about their diagnosis and treatment, and medical records. The health sector has thus far been regulated by the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1949, which covers only nursing homes and maternity homes in the state. The bill makes registration of all clinical establishments mandatory with the state authorities. At present, registration and inspection of nursing homes are the responsibility of municipal authorities. Unlike the existing law, the proposed legislation covers all recognised systems of medicine, including ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, among others. The bill also prescribes minimum standards for facilities and services to standardise healthcare delivery in line with norms laid down by the National Council for Clinical Establishments. This will cover infrastructure, equipment, manpower, record-keeping and patient services in all healthcare facilities. The state government will notify separate standards for different categories of healthcare establishments while taking into account local conditions and regional requirements. The legislation also proposes a State Council for Clinical Establishments to be headed by the health minister. The council will determine the standards to be followed by various institutions, oversee their implementation, and specify services to be provided to patients. It will include senior government officials, representatives of the medical, dental, nursing and pharmacy councils, Indian systems of medicine, paramedical professionals, the Indian Medical Association and consumer groups. Significantly, the bill provides a framework to ensure patients' rights and includes provisions for grievance redressal. It guarantees patients the right to receive information about their diagnosis and treatment, obtain medical records, maintain privacy and dignity, receive treatment without discrimination, and seek a second medical opinion. Hospitals will have to publicly display treatment, investigation and service charges in Marathi, Hindi and English, publish them on their websites, avoid overcharging, and issue itemised bills. Every hospital must provide immediate life-saving treatment and stabilise critically ill patients regardless of their financial status before referring them elsewhere in emergencies such as accidents, the bill states. 'Emergency medical condition' broadly includes situations where the absence of immediate treatment could seriously jeopardise a person's health or life. "The bill gives extensive powers to the government to issue policy directions and aims to modernise the healthcare regulatory framework," said an official. "The new law also aims to curb quackery and ensure that only qualified establishments are allowed to operate," said the official....