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Private hospitals to be monitored
Amendments would be introduced to the Private Health Services Regulatory Council (PHSRC) Act of 2008 to enable the health ministry to gain access to private hospitals and nursing homes, conduct inquiries on public complaints regarding high fees and other issues in channeling doctors, a Health Ministry spokesman said.
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a 12 member committee headed by Karunasena Hettiaarachchi, Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board to look into the issue and recommend necessary amendments to the Act.
The committee held its first meeting today at the Health Ministry chaired by Minister Sirisena, the spokesman added.
“The main weakness of the current Act is that the health ministry has no power to enter a private hospital and conduct an inquiry. It also does not have power to put a ceiling on the exorbitant prices charged through channel practices and by private hospitals/nursing homes,” the spokesman said.
“It is a known that some medical specialists charge patients extremely high fees. It varies from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 10,000 a patient. They have come to this position through free education system of the country. The fees charged by private hospitals are unbelievable and the quality of treatment at many private hospitals is below par to the government healthcare service,” he said.
Citing one example, the spokesman said private hospitals and nursing homes obtain blood from the National Blood Transfusion Unit at Narahenpita (NBTUN) free of charge. The NBTUN charges Rs. 575 only for the kit that contains blood. The health ministry has received complaints from the public that some private hospitals have charged fees as high as Rs. 50,000 for a pint of blood obtained from the NBTUN which is highly unfair, the spokesman stressed.
The amendments are expected to give more legal teeth to the PHSCR Act enabling the Director General of Health Services or his deputy to entertain public complaints against private hospitals, nursing homes and private medical practioners/specialists by the public and take legal action against them, he said. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)
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