Hyderabad: Hardly any field visits, and lack of inspections, and verifications are contributing to unqualified practitioners functioning as medical professionals in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts and thereby putting the lives of the people at risk.The Telangana medical council on Sunday apprehended one Chandrasekhar, who was running an infirmary centre in Rangareddy under the name of another doctor. It was found that Chandrasekhar was not even an RMP. The raid also raised questions about the registration certificate he had acquired from the Rangareddy district medical and health officer (DMHO).While the Hyderabad and RR DMHOs denied any lapses on their part, this case sheds light on the serious lack of regulation for medical facilities. The two DMHOs acknowledged that with the number of healthcare facilities growing in the city, it has become increasingly difficult to carry out physical checks and inspections on a regular basis.“We would not be able to cover all the facilities in the city even if we visited them once a year,” said the Hyderabad DMHO. “There are about 3,000 facilities in RR alone, so regular physical checks are not feasible. Moreover, the district registering authority boasts of just two or three persons,” said the Rangareddy DMHO.However, both DMHOs have initiated surveys, inspections, and awareness campaigns in their respective areas to help medical practitioners understand the requirements of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010.Hyderabad district has approximately 2,919 establishments registered under the Act. In 2022, a government order made it mandatory for all clinical facilities, including private clinics, nursing homes, and hospitals, to be registered under the Act. Prior to this, they were registered under the Telangana State Allopathic Private Medical Care Establishments Registration and Regulation Act, 2002.The procedure to apply for the facilities is also lengthy and time consuming. The applicants must approach the DMHO with all the required documents, which include building licenses, lease documents, fire safety NOCs, and the credentials of doctors and other staff members.Multi-specialty hospitals need to apply for separate licenses for each specialty, requiring additional documentation.Hyderabad has about 464 facilities with provisional registrations, and 89 are due for renewal, according to data shared by the DMHO.“We are organising an awareness campaign at Harihara Kala Bhavan in Secunderabad on Tuesday to educate private medical facilities about the Act. Lack of awareness is causing many issues at the administrative level,” said Dr. J. Venkati, DMHO Hyderabad.“Some facilities lack a fire safety NOC, while some do not have a trade licence from the municipality, which are mandatory,” he added.Meanwhile, Chandrasekhar told Deccan Chronicle, “I have never worked in that area. I am currently an assistant professor in a government hospital. I previously practiced in a few private hospitals but never owned a private clinic.”
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