more-in Small hospitals and clinics have sought exemption from the provisions of the Kerala Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act and the Minimum Wages Act, claiming that the new regulations will force many units to close down. Sushama Anil, chairperson, Kozhikode branch of the Kerala Association of Small Hospitals and Clinics, told the media on Tuesday that it would not be financially viable and practically possible for small hospitals to appoint staff as per the provisions of the Clinical Establishments Act. She claimed that they would not be able to appoint more staff and offer them revised salaries, but they were not opposed to revising the salaries of the existing staff. The Act also allowed officials to inspect hospitals. Big hospitals would not be affected as they had been accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers. Dr. Sushama said they would also not be able to disburse salaries as mandated by the Minimum Wages Act, which had included 1 to 100 bed-hospitals in one category. She claimed that there was a lot of difference between the revenue generated by small hospitals and clinics in rural areas with limited facilities for inpatients and those in the urban areas. Grouping them in one category was unfair, she said. “If our demands are not met, we will be forced to either pass on the financial burden to the patients by increasing the charges or close down the clinics. As many as 200 small hospitals and clinics have already shut shop in the past eight months across the State,” she said. Sankar Mahadevan, secretary of the association, urged the government to exempt outpatient clinics and hospitals with a bed strength up to 20 from the staff pattern mandated by the Clinical Establishment Act. He demanded that the government set up a single-window clearance system for getting the licence for institutions offering primary healthcare and their licence should be in the name of one doctor.

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