Published On : Tue, Apr 30th, 2013

NMC, unauthorized hospitals both posing terrible health hazards to Nagpur citizens

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274 hospitals are authorized as these hospitals have failed to comply with stringent NMC, Fire Brigade regulations

Nagpur Today:  “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise.”  “The greatest wealth is Health.”  “Let food be the medicine and not medicine the food”   “Just because you’re not sick doesn’t mean you’re healthy. “Those who think they have no time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”  “If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?”

There are thousands of quotes on good health as well as bad health.  In this case, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) itself, it appears, is unhealthy and suffering from many diseases. The main disease the NMC  or top bosses of Health Department particularly are suffering from is “Acute Negligence”.  And the most disturbing effect of the NMC “disease”  is a potential hazard to public health.

The Nagpur city, being heart of the country (central point geographically), is called medical hub as patients from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and other states come to Nagpur treatment since the city has several hospitals  which provide excellent treatment to almost all deadly disease. However, only 274 hospitals or clinics out of 689 are authorized as these hospitals have registered themselves with NMC  under Bombay Nursing  Home Registration Act as these hospitals are equipped with all facilities required as per norms and guidelines of Medical Council of India (MCI). The fact also explains that the remaining hospitals or clinics are unauthorized and are posing health hazards to gullible citizens of Nagpur city. According to rules and regulations of NMC the private hospitals or clinics have to register afresh with NMC after three years . The applications for registration have been pending since March 2012.

According to an official of Health Department, the stringent parameters  set up by NMC for hospitals or clinics has been main reason as the unauthorized hospitals or clinics do not comply with the rules and regulations of the NMC.  These hospitals or clinics are age old. The NMC parameters  make it necessary for hospitals to submit the map of the building or even apartment to Town Planning Department for their permission to open new hospitals or old ones. Similarly, the hospitals have to complete all Town Planning guidelines like Occupancy Certificate, Parking Place, three gates for entry and exit, suitable equipment to handle fire incidents according to latest Fire Brigade regulations. The Fire Brigade has made it compulsory for hospitals to construct big tank for water storage in case a fire breaks out. If the hospitals fail to comply with all these formalities the registrations would be cancelled or denied. The Fire Brigade has warned of severe action against hospitals who have failed the comply all regulations. However, for getting fresh NOC from Fire Brigade the hospitals have to cough up between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1.35 lakh. But the renewal charges for registrations are  Rs 1000-200.

However, this is official version on record. Off the record, the Health Department too cannot be absolved of their responsibilities. The “Acute Negligence” by the Health Department for obvious reasons has led to mushrooming of bogus doctors and they are thriving and prospering, most of the them in slums or surrounding areas of Nagpur. These bogus doctors have created havoc in the past and today also playing with public lives.