The Union health ministry's ambitious plan to kick-start voluntary registration of clinical establishments to collect a database of clinical establishments spread across the country appears to have stuck in red tapism. Even though almost six months have passed since the ministry had received comments and suggestions from the stakeholders on the draft Format for provisional registration of clinical institutions, it is yet to finalise the Format.

Sources in the ministry said that there were several meetings on this issue during the last couple of months, but it could not so far come to a conclusion on the draft without which the process of provisional registration of clinical establishments could not be initiated.

The provisional registration of clinical establishments is part of the Clinical Establishments Registration and Regulation Bill which is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the next session. The Bill is being proposed to be enacted by the government as a comprehensive legislative framework for the registration and regulation of clinical establishments in the country. It is aimed to provide among others minimum standards for facilities and services with a view to standardizing health care services and for achieving improvement of public health.

By the time the Bill is tabled in Parliament, the ministry wanted to collect a database of clinical establishments spread across every nook and corner of the country. It was for this purpose that the ministry was to finalize a draft Format for provisional registration of clinical institutions. Once the format is finalized, the ministry will ask the clinical establishments to come forward voluntarily to register their establishment.

Last year the ministry had released a draft Format for provisional registration of clinical institutions, seeking comments and suggestions from the stakeholders. The stakeholders were given time till January 31, 2009 to send their comments and suggestions. The ministry had received adequate number of feedback from the stakeholders and experts.

The draft format was developed by the National Council of Standards under the health ministry. The registration format seeks information regarding the profile of the clinical establishment, infrastructure, facilities offered, human resources among other aspects. As per the Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2007 clinical establishment would include hospitals, maternity home, nursing home, dispensary, clinics etc. and similar facilities with beds that offer diagnosis, treatment or care for illness or injury or pregnancy in any recognised system of medicine (Allopathy, Yoga, Naturopathy, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Siddha And Unani).

It also includes any laboratory (either established as independent entity or part of an establishment) which offers pathological, bacteriological, genetic, radiological, chemical, biological and other diagnostic or investigative services. Furthermore, the establishment can be owned by the government or department of the government, a Trust (public or private), a corporation (including a cooperative society), a local authority and a single doctor establishment.