In the midst of a raging pandemic when people can use all the medical help they can avail, renewal applications of around 600 Bengaluru healthcare establishments are pending approval before the District Health Office.
The Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) made a statement in this regard.
Dr Ravindra Ramaiah, president, PHANA, said: "The District Health Office is sitting on these applications inordinately. Without a renewal certificate, insurance companies do not provide cashless facilities to patients who will have to pay from their pockets. As per the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Act, running a health establishment without a licence carries a penalty of Rs 5 lakh and three years' imprisonment."
The KPME Act was amended in 2017 and a new portal for registration and renewal by private medical establishments — www.kpme.karnataka.gov.in — was launched in February 2020.
Dr Ranjith S D I, an orthopaedic surgeon who consults with Manipal Hospitals, Malleswaram, and Columbia Asia, Hebbal, applied for a licence online for his home consultation chamber in January, before the pandemic broke out. Now, at the peak of the pandemic, he is still awaiting registration of his home clinic. He has not received any communication on why it has not been approved yet.
"Once you submit the application, an e-signature needs to be provided. The application hasn't been processed further. I applied in January. I have submitted the necessary documents. There has been no communication on whether it is approved, rejected or if I need to submit more documents. I don't want to have a quack clinic. I want to have a registered clinic," Dr Ranjith said.
However, to everyone's surprise, the District Health Office maintains that there are no pending applications with them.
'Nothing pending'
"Whoever has applied online to date, have been issued licences to practice. Now that one doesn't even need a trade licence to get a renewal, it gets generated automatically. If the private hospital association approaches us, we will clear all pending applications," said Dr Srinivas G A, Bengaluru District Health Officer.
According to a circular issued by Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey on August 17, deemed approval shall be enabled once the registering authority fails to either approve or reject an application in the online system within three months. The portal will generate an authorised 'Deemed Approval Certificate'.