After the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the Jan Arogya Abhiyan (JAA) – a coalition of health rights’ organisations, people’s movements and civil society groups – Wednesday opposed the proposed Maharashtra Clinical Establishments Bill 2026, claiming that many important patients’ rights and safeguards under the existing framework have been left out. The government has invited suggestions and objections to the draft bill till August 20. The group urged the state government to revise the proposed law before it is finalised and include stronger provisions for patient protection, hospital accountability and grievance redressal.
The central development
The group has flagged the absence of: female patients’ explicit rights to have another woman present during an examination; and clear provisions on treatment and care for people living with HIV. Another concern is the proposed grievance mechanism. The JAA has objected to the composition of the proposed state council, saying that it largely comprises government health officials and representatives of statutory medical councils. The organisation wants patients’ groups, health rights’ organisations, women’s groups, nurses’ bodies, and doctors’ associations to be represented instead. The JAA has called for an independent, full-time regulatory body and district-level grievance committees headed by a retired district judge or a legal expert of the same level. It has urged the government to hold wider consultations with health rights’ groups, civil society organisations, women’s groups and healthcare professionals before finalising the legislation. As per the draft, hospitals are required to display their rates but the draft does not provide for actual regulation or standardisation of charges. There should be standard treatment guidelines to reduce the risk of unnecessary tests and procedures”.
After the IMA, the JAA has opposed the draft bill proposed to replace the 2021 Maharashtra Nursing Home Registration framework saying it excludes several existing safeguards such as provisions preventing hospitals from withholding a deceased patient’s body over any reason or keeping a patient confined for non-payment of bills. The JAA said that while the 2021 rules require hospitals to maintain a grievance cell and toll-free number, and address admitted patients’ complaints within 24 hours; the draft bill lacks such mechanisms and does not provide a clear, district-level forum for patients to seek redress. All 20 patient rights and safeguards under the existing Maharashtra framework and the National Patients’ Rights Charter should be incorporated, along with a simple and time-bound grievance system at the district and state levels”.
The organisation has said that the draft does not retain the need for hospitals to display doctors’ names, qualifications and registration details; and provide patients with proper discharge cards recording diagnosis, treatment and medical advice. Health activist, Dr Anant Phadke, said, “The JAA has also sought regulation of hospital charges. Health activist Dr Arun Gadre said, “The new law must strengthen patient rights, not dilute them.
