Private hospitals revise rates after meeting with West Bengal government

• Private hospitals and nursing homes in West Bengal held a second round of talks with the state government regarding revision of rates
• Both parties agreed that healthcare needs of the general public is a top priority, but further regulation would cause serious setbacks for the private healthcare sector
• The parties will meet again to discuss other issues related to clinical establishments and pandemic advisories

Representatives from private hospitals and nursing homes in West Bengal held a productive meeting with government officials on Monday to discuss the revision of rates for healthcare services.

The meeting was attended by officials including Mr Narayan Swarup Nigam, Principal Secretary of Health & Family Welfare, and Mr Rupak Barua, President of the Association of Hospitals of Eastern India.

The private healthcare providers agreed that quality services at reasonable rates are necessary, but expressed concerns that further regulation would harm the sector. It was decided that revised rates would be uploaded to websites two weeks before implementation, and the State Health department will review the rates if necessary.

The parties will meet again to discuss other issues related to clinical establishments and pandemic advisories.