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The Telangana government has reconstituted the State Council for Clinical Establishments under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, to strengthen regulation, accountability and quality standards in the healthcare sector. The reconstitution was announced through a Government Order (GO) issued by Health Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu on October 27. The council will be responsible for compiling and updating the State Registers of Clinical Establishments, sending monthly returns to the National Register, representing the State in the National Council, hearing appeals, and publishing annual reports on the implementation of standards. It will also monitor compliance with the Act, recommend necessary modifications to the government in line with technological or social changes, and perform functions outlined by the National Council for Clinical Establishments. The Council, chaired by the Health Secretary includes representatives from diverse sectors of healthcare. Members comprise officials from the Directorates of Medical Education, Public Health and AYUSH, representatives of Telangana Medical Council, Dental Council, and Pharmacy Council, a representative from Indian Medical Association (IMA), Telangana branch, as well as consumer rights representatives from civil society organisations. Each nominated and elected member will hold office for a term of three years. Welcoming the move, the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA), said the decision marks a vital step in ensuring transparency and accountability in the sector. However, while expressing its support, HRDA called for more practical regulations that take into account the operational realities of small and medium hospitals. Dr. Bandari Rajkumar, Secretary of Telangana Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (THANA), Karimnagar branch, said it was unfair to impose the same stringent norms applicable to 200-bed corporate hospitals on 10-bed rural hospitals. “The CEA monitoring system should be encouraging, not punitive. Doctors are committed to ethical medical practices, but the regulations should also be practical,” he said. The HRDA urged the Council to exempt hospitals and clinics with fewer than 50 beds from the purview of the Act, arguing that excessive regulations could threaten the survival of small facilities and disrupt emergency healthcare in rural and semi-urban areas. Among the amendments suggested by HRDA were four proposals: exemption of hospitals with fewer than 20 beds from the CEA’s scope, simplification of the district-level online registration and renewal process, introduction of a single-window clearance system integrating fire safety, biomedical waste and municipal permits and inclusion of private doctors and local medical associations in the Council’s decision-making process.
