In Keralam, ‘affordable’ private health care is easier said than done
The Keralam government aims to make private healthcare more affordable through a new Bill, following a seven-year legal battle where the Kerala High Court upheld the Kerala Clinical Establishments Act 2018. The Act, which mandates registration and transparency of rates, faced strong opposition from private hospitals and medical associations.
Why it matters
This article highlights the ongoing struggle between government regulation and the private healthcare sector in India, impacting healthcare access, affordability, and quality for citizens.
The Keralam government’s announcement that it will make private health care more “affordable” through consultations with the private health sector, and that a Bill in this regard was in the offing, should be seen against the State’s seven-year legal battle before the Kerala High Court upheld the Kerala Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulations) Act 2018, throwing out all objections raised by private hospitals.
The KCE Act was the first ever attempt made in the State to bring the entire health sector, public and private, under a regulatory framework.
But the Act was systematically opposed and its implementation stalled at every turn by the private health sector in the State.
It was in November last year that the Kerala High Court threw out all objections raised by the Kerala Private Hospitals’ Association (KPHA) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and upheld the validity of the Act.
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