Stern action against errant doctors

by Shanika Sriyananda

The government will take stern action against doctors who engage in private practice if they fail to register with the newly formed Private Health services Regulatory Council before June 22.

All medical practitioners in the country need to register with the Council and should inform the council the time and place where they engage in private practice. "Private healthcare institutions should display the names of all doctors and the time that they can be consulted", Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said.

Minister de Silva said that the Ministry had brought these regulations under No 21 of the Private Medical Institutions Act of 2006 which will come into effect from June 22 to safeguard the state health sector to provide a quality health service and also to strengthen the private healthcare sector.

According to the Minister, the main four objectives of the Act are to improve health care of the population, ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the private sector healthcare services, ensure the quality of the service provided by private healthcare institutes and ensure equity.

Under the new regulations all private healthcare institutions, including private laboratories should be registered under the Council.

A doctor who practices without registering with the Council will be liable to one year's imprisonment or a fine of Rs. 1 million or both.

"The flying squad of the Ministry will conduct their surprise visits in private hospitals and if a doctor is found engaging in private practice without a registration number legal action will be taken against him", he said.

According to Ministry sources, of the 200 private healthcare institutions, 140 function without registration.

The sources said that there are over 200 private hospitals, 450 medical laboratories, 12,000 part-time General Practitioners (GPs), 850 full time GPs, 750 dental practitioners, ambulance service providers and home nursing care providers are in the private sector health services.

The sources also said that the majority of patients with communicable diseases and other diseases such as HIV/AIDS get treatment from the private sector and according to health experts this poses a danger. "Under the new regulations all private hospitals should maintain a register about patients with communicable diseases", he said.