The Union health ministry has issued draft documents for the implementation of the Clinical Establishments Act, which was enacted by the central government in 2010 to provide for registration and regulation of all clinical establishments in the country with a view to prescribe the minimum standards of facilities and services provided by them.

After the enactment of the Act, the Union health ministry had notified the “National Council for Clinical Establishments” and ‘The Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012” under the Act vide government Gazette. This Act is applicable to all kinds of clinical establishments from the public and private sectors, of all recognized systems of medicine including single doctor clinics. The only exception will be establishments run by the Armed forces.

The draft documents for the implementation of the Clinical Establishments Act was prepared by the National Council for Clinical Establishments under the chairmanship of Director General of Health Services (DGHS), in consultation with various stakeholders for its implementation in the country.

The draft documents issued by the ministry are Application format for Permanent Registration of Clinical Establishments; Minimum Standards; Formats for Collection of information and Statistics; Template for Display of Rates; and Standard Treatment Guidelines of Ayurveda.

The ministry has invited comments, suggestions, objections, including deletions/additions if required on the draft documents from public at large, including the stakeholders like hospitals and other clinical establishments, consumer groups, etc by October 9, 2014.

It has set minimum standards for clinical establishments like allied health executive, allied health wellness center, behaviourial health integrated counselling, dental center, dental hospital, dietetics, hospital (level 1), hospital (level 2), hospital (level 3), lab, lab-collection center, mobile clinic only consultation, mobile clinic with procedure, nephrology dialysis center, physiotherapy center, polyclinic only consultation, polyclinic with diagnostic support,  polyclinic with dispensary, polyclinic with observation, radiology, imaging and ultrasound and stem cell laboratory.