IMA seeks CEA exemption for hosps across Telangana
Hyderabad: The Telangana unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has urged the government to exempt small hospitals and clinics with 50 beds from the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA) on the lines of Haryana and Bihar. It has written to Health secretary Dr Christina Chongtu with a charter of demands. President Dr D Dwarakanatha Reddy urged the government to exempt from the Act.
He said the CEA provisions were adversely affecting small hospitals and clinics and requested the government to adopt the model of Haryana and Bihar, which have exempted hospitals below 50 beds from CEA regulations. Among other demands, the IMA has raised the issue of violence against doctors. Dr Reddy spoke of rise in attacks on doctors due to inadequate legal protection and urged the government to amend the law to increase imprisonment from 3 years to 7 years, making it a non-bailable offence; ensure direct FIR registration with preliminary expert review.
He wanted single window clearance for registrations and renewals for hospital registrations, renewals and licences as multiple NOCs and repeated harassment by authorities (fire, GHMC, PCB).
Stating that over 10 lakh quacks were practicing, putting patients at risk, the IMA requested the government to enforce Section 34 and Section 54 of NMC Act rigorously, form Anti-Quackery Committees at district levels under TSMC/IMA supervision; mandate production of MBBS/PG degrees for prescribing allopathy.
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