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Govt. to keep a close watch, on healthcare delivery
CONSUMERS can now hope to get better quality treatment as hospitals across the country would soon be required to adhere to some common basic quality standards for healthcare delivery.
After months of rhetoric, the government is finally getting down to some policy initiatives to give a big push to medical tourism in the country. To start with, the health ministry has initiated formulating guidelines for a national accreditation for hospitals in order to ensure uniform, standard delivery and services system in hospitals across the country.
Besides, the health ministry along with the tourism and external affairs ministry is also considering relaxing the visa rules for medical tourists.
The health ministry move follows a charter of demand submitted by the Indian Healthcare Federation. The Federation has suggested putting in place a national accreditation for all hospitals so that healthcare facilities across the country follow a minimum quality service standard.
"Today India may have several top class hospitals providing healthcare services which could be comparable to some of the best in the world.
The Federation has also been demanding infrastructure status for the healthcare industry so that they get access to concessional financing from financial institutions. Besides, this would also entitle them for some duty benefits.
According to industry analysts, at present India only has some islands of excellence ? handful of excellent hospitals here and there ? and not an accredited healthcare infrastructure which could be promoted overseas. Besides, differences in cost for the same facility and lack of monitoring make it difficult for insurance companies to recommend any particular hospital for reimbursement. Also, unlike many other sectors, it is the word of mouth which works mainly in the healthcare sector, underscoring the need for a yardstick to grade hospitals and grand accreditation. At present, healthcare in India is estimated to be about Rs 84,000 crore market, half of which is managed by the private sector.
(Ref : Economic Times, November 20, 2004)
CDSCO committee to chart structure of medical device regulatory division
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is seriously working on a credible system to take care of the approval and post approval surveillance of medical devices in the country. The committee is to suggest practical measures that are in tune with the Mashelkar Committee recommendation on duality upgradation of Indian drug regulatory system.
It should be noted that the Mashelkar committee had rejected the proposal for setting up an independent Indian Medical Devices Regulatory Authority and had called for making use of existing countrywide infrastructure facilities of drugs control administration for the purpose. The regulation of medical devices was the job of drug regulatory authorities in several other countries as well.
The Mashelkar Panel had recommended the inclusion of a specific definition for "medical devices" under Section 3 of Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The mandate of this division was to serve as a "regulatory mechanism for certification, quality assurance and post marketing surveillance of imported as well as locally made medical devices.
(Ref : PHARMABIZ, November 11, 2004)
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