The majority of private players disobey the Bombay Nursing Home Act’s requirement that every private hospital install a tariff chart outlining the cost of care. Billing disputes between patients and hospital administrations are frequently the result of this. According to records, the city is home to 659 registered hospitals, the most of which are concentrated in the Ramdaspeth and Dhantoli neighborhoods.
The Maharashtra Nursing Home Registration Act also mandates that both commercial and governmental institutions set up a patient complaint redressal chamber and publicly display information regarding patient rights and a rate sheet. However, this restriction is not followed by several hospitals throughout the city. This newspaper visited five private hospitals in Ramdaspeth and Dhantoli to assess compliance and discovered that just two had put rate charts correctly.
However, another private hospital did have a rate chart, but poorly displayed. The chart could be read only after moving closer to it.
Sources said that Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) has the authority to take action against local private hospitals that fail to post tariff charts at prominent spots. When contacted for response, NMC’s medical officer Dr Narendra Bahirwar said, “We have told all the hospitals to install the tariff charts in easily visible locations for the convenience of patients. Apart from this, we conduct regular checks to ensure hospitals comply with all rules.”