Single window clearance for hospitals, nursing homes soon: Harish Rao

T Harish Rao on Sunday assured to bring a single window system to issue licenses to start hospitals and nursing homes on the lines of TS-iPASS.

Karimnagar: Health Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday assured to bring a single window system to issue licenses to start hospitals and nursing homes on the lines of TS-iPASS.

He stated that following requests from doctors and hospital managements, the process has been initiated to work out the modalities. He also promised to provide land for the Indian Medical Association (IMA) State building in Hyderabad.

Participating in the sixth annual IMA TSCON-22 held at Karimnagar, the Minister found fault with the National Medical Council (NMC) over its double standards in sanction of permissions to State-owned medical colleges and AIIMS at Bibinagar. He asked what was the need to follow different methods when the Central government was chanting the ‘One Nation-One Policy’ mantra.

“Though the AIIMS-Bibinagar did not have even a blood bank, labour room, and operation theatre, NMC gave permission for PG admissions. But the same was denied for the government medical college at Mancherial though all facilities including 350 bedded hospital, teaching faculty and others were provided,” he said.

When checked the reasons for denial, Harish Rao learnt that permission was denied on the grounds that the population of the district was less than 10 lakh. Later, the permission was given for 100 seats, reducing it from the earlier proposed 150 seats.

He also questioned the NMC’s logic behind cancellation of permission to medical colleges after completion of the admission process, putting future of students in trouble. In the State, permissions for three colleges, MNR, Mahaveer and TRR, were cancelled after completion of the admission process. Though he wrote several letters to the NMC to consider the plight of students, there has been no response.

“Instead of cancelling permissions, NMC should have cross-checked all aspects whether the colleges have fulfilled all parameters before giving permission,” the Minister said.

He stated that students from India were going abroad to Philippines, Ukraine and China to pursue medical education due to lack of adequate seats in the country and facing troubles there. Students would benefit if medicine seats were increased in the country.

Harish Rao also expressed deep concern over the increase of C-section operations. He said the highest of 60.7 percent operations were being done in Telangana.

While 44 percent operations were being done in government hospitals, the figure was 81 percent in private nursing homes. Some hospitals in the State were doing 100 percent C-section operations, he said and asked the IMA to discuss the issue and take initiatives to reduce such operations.

The Minister said the State would start 2,900 Palle Dawakhanas on the lines of Basthi Dawakhanas in the coming days.