Wednesday, August 17 2005 15:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Concerned over high cost of medical facilities and poor quality of treatment to people below poverty line by private hospitals, Government is considering bringing a law to regulate hospitals for quality treatment.

As per the proposed Clinical Establishment law, all hospitals would have to be mandatorily registered with district authorities and they would be governed by a set of guidelines to be laid down by the law, Health Minister A Ramadoss said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

Regarding the high cost of treatment, especially in private hospitals, he said, "Since 80 per cent of the institutions are in private sector and only 20 per cent in the public sector, we may think of public-private partnership to bring down the cost."

On the issue of private hospitals grabbing land at very nominal rates under the garb of charitable institutions, Ramadoss said that show cause notices have been issued to VIMHANS and another hospital in Delhi for not adhering to the condition to provide free treatment to economically poorer sections.

According to DDA, he said, 10 hospitals in Delhi were found violating terms and conditions of allotment and all have been issued notices.

Replying to another query the minister said that Rs 356 crore are being invested to modernise testing laboratories in the country but ruled out any public-private partnership in this regard.