Pathanamathitta District Collector S. Prem Krishnan has said that health institutions should follow the clinical establishment system.
All clinical institutions should treat emergency patients according to their capacity. If treatment is to be provided in another institution with more facilities, necessary transportation facilities should be arranged. Information required for treatment should be provided there.
Emergency treatment should not be denied to a patient on the grounds that the patient has not paid the advance payment or does not have any documents. All treatment-related documents and test reports should be provided as soon as the patient is discharged.
Registration is mandatory for clinical institutions.
According to the Kerala Clinical Institutions (Registration and Control) Act, 2018, no clinical institution is allowed to operate in the state without registration. Institutions operating without registration will be subject to penalty as per the law.
All institutions that provide diagnostic or care services, whether with or without beds, such as hospitals, laboratories, dental clinics, AYUSH health centers, etc., are considered clinical institutions under the law.
Clinical institutions must display registration certificates
Clinical institutions and their registration certificates
The information on the rights of patients and available facilities, including the email address, name, phone number and contact details of the Grievance Redressal Officer, District Medical Officer and District Registering Authority, fee rates and packages applicable for the services and treatment provided, should be displayed in the institution in a manner that is clearly visible to the public, in Malayalam and English, at the admission desk/reception area and on the official website of the institution.
Treatment, testing, and other services (intensive care unit/operation theater, scanning, laboratory facilities, ambulance facilities, emergency care) should be provided on a case-by-case basis, and confidentiality, non-discrimination, and medical records should be provided within 72 hours.
Leaflet
The facility should be made available on the website for the admitted patients to download information in the form of a brochure from the institution’s website regarding the services available in the institution, basic rates and package rates, what services are included in them, the institution’s policy regarding refund of advance deposit, insurance, cashless treatment, claim settlement procedure, estimates, billing policy, discharge procedure, rates of ambulance and other emergency transport facilities, 24-hour emergency care protocol, and grievance redressal mechanism. The brochure should be provided to the patient on request.
Grievance Redressal System
There should be a complaint redressal desk/helpline in all clinical institutions. All complaints should be registered with a unique reference number. Receipt of the complaint should be given through SMS, WhatsApp or paper. The complaint received should be resolved within seven working days. Unresolved and serious complaints should be forwarded to the District Registering Authority/District Medical Officer. Complaints registers should be maintained in all clinical institutions in book form or in electronic form. These should be subject to inspection. A summary of the complaints received and the action taken on them should be made part of the monthly report submitted to the Competent Authority.
Accuracy of rates
Any changes to the rates displayed, included in the brochure, provided on the website, and the information provided for complaint resolution or any other purpose must be immediately updated.
Clinical institutions must bill accurately
Clinical establishments must bill all customers itemized, including all charges for consultation, testing, treatment, and other services. Charges must not exceed the displayed/published rates.
Other solutions available to patients
Complaints regarding inadequacy in services should be filed with the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions. Complaints regarding cases including cheating and fraud should be filed with the police. In cases of serious crimes, complaints can be filed with the Chief Secretary or the State Police Chief. Advice and assistance from the District/State Legal Services Authority can be sought for help in resolving complaints.
Violation of any of the above is punishable under the Kerala Clinical Establishments (Registration and Control) Act, 2018 and may result in suspension or cancellation of the registration of the concerned establishment. These are in addition to other remedies available to patients under civil and criminal law procedures.
