Pune: The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Pune chapter, has urged health minister Prakash Abitkar to review the alleged “harsh” provisions introduced under amendments to the Bombay Nursing Homes Registration Act (BNHRA) and sought detailed consultations on the draft Maharashtra Clinical Establishments Act (MAHA CEA), 2026, with medical stakeholders.In a memorandum to the minister on June 5, the IMA-Pune and Hospital Board of India (HBI), Pune, said the proposed regulations under MAHA CEA could adversely affect small and medium hospitals across the state. The association, representing around 5,000 doctors in Pune, said it had repeatedly raised concerns regarding healthcare establishments’ regulatory challenges.According to the memorandum, the concerns stem from amendments to the BNHRA in Jan 2021. The IMA argued that several provisions created administrative and financial difficulties, particularly for hospitals with 10 to 30 beds. The association also expressed concern over not involving major medical organisations adequately in discussions on the proposed MAHA CEA, 2026.Dr Alka Kshirsagar, president, IMA, Pune chapter, said, “Among the key objections raised is a reported proposal to impose a penalty of up to Rs5 lakh and imprisonment of up to six months for certain norm violations. The IMA has raised concerns that such provisions could create an ‘Inspector Raj’ kind of environment and place additional pressure on healthcare institutions.”Dr Kshirsagar said, “The association also highlighted a steep increase in registration renewal fees. The fees for the first five beds increased from Rs100 to Rs5,000, with an additional Rs5,000 charged for every subsequent five beds. We also object to the provision proposing a 25% increase in fees every three years.”Dr Sanjay Patil, executive trustee, HBI, said, “The BNHRA amendments of 2021 are already in place. The previous minister had agreed to reduce the registration renewal charges, but it did not materialise. With these charges, a practising doctor with a small clinic will end up paying lakhs just for registration renewal within a few years of getting into practice. It is not fair.”He said, “The draft of the CEA, 2026, has not been made public, but we got to know about the harsh punishments for doctors through media reports. So, we have written to the govt to revise the amendments to the BNHRA in 2021 regarding registration fees and discuss the upcoming draft CEA 2026 with relevant stakeholders.”
