Nursing homes in residential areas: Chandigarh plans comprehensive policy

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 15

The UT Administration is planning to bring in a comprehensive policy to run private nursing homes in residential areas.

Local MP Kirron Kher had last year sent a proposal to the Administration to allow opening of nursing homes in the residential areas. In 2005, the Administration had discontinued the provision allowing new nursing homes in the residential areas.

In March this year, the Standing Committee on Health, a sub-committee of the Administrator’s Advisory Council, had unanimously recommended the opening of nursing homes in residential areas, but with certain conditions. However, the final decision in this regard will be taken by the UT Administration.

The meeting, which was chaired by former minister Harmohan Dhawan, was attended by Dr Jagat Ram, Director, PGI, Dr Amandeep Kaur Kang, Director, Health Services, and the local president of the Indian Medical Association, Dr Vanita Gupta, among others.

A senior UT officer said a comprehensive policy was required to regulate private nursing homes in the residential areas.

In her proposal, the MP had stated that allowing nursing homes in residential areas would certainly reduce the burden on government health institutions and people would get health facilities close to their homes as was being done in neighbouring states.

However, the Standing Committee on Urban Infrastructure and Planning had, in July last year, rejected the proposal. Members of the committee were of the opinion that private nursing homes would undertake commercial activities and provide expensive healthcare facilities. It would also create problems such as parking and traffic in the residential areas, said the members.

Later, the Advisory Council asked the Standing Committee on Health to examine the issue.

The proposal

The MP had proposed that allowing nursing homes in residential areas would certainly reduce the burden on government health institutions and people would get health facilities close to their homes. However, it was rejected.

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