Display med service rates, city private hospitals ordered

Bhopal: Private hospitals in Bhopal are mandated to publicly display their rate lists for medical services. This directive comes from the Bhopal chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr Prabhakar Tiwari, and aims to protect patient rights and ensure transparency in healthcare costs.

Hospitals must also inform the CMHO's office of any rate revisions.

Regular inspections will be conducted to enforce compliance, with penalties for violations under the MP Nursing Home & Clinical Establishment Act, Rules 1997 (as amended) 2021.

Dr Prabhakar Tiwari, CMHO Bhopal, issued the instructions based on the MP public health and medical education department's letter on Dec 3. This mandate requires private hospitals and nursing homes within Bhopal to prominently display the price list of their medical services at their counters.

The displayed rate lists must be accessible to patients and their families upon request. Furthermore, information regarding the availability of these rate lists must be displayed at the hospital's registration counter.

Any discrepancies between the listed rates and the charges imposed will be considered an infringement of patient rights.