Rating system for hospitals to be introduced

New Delhi: Private and government hospitals across the country may soon have a rating system. This is being done to bring accountability in hospitals says union health secretary P K Hota, in his address at a two-day seminar organised by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

The theme of the seminar was, appropriately, ''Deficiency in service by hospitals and doctors''. Hota said, "This will be a dynamic and continuous rating system to check deficiency in service in the health sector. Hospitals, both private and government ones, will be invited to register themselves and given accreditation depending on their technical capabilities, prevalent expertise and protocol."

L Mansingh, secretary, consumer, said that a committee headed by the union health minister would monitor the accreditation process of hospitals. Accredited agencies would be employed by the committee to conduct regular inspections on the registered hospitals, he added.

The event was inaugurated by Supreme Court judge, justice Arijit Pasayat. Justice M B Shah, president of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, said consumer complaints mostly dealt with "apparent wrongs" on the part of hospitals and doctors.

"Apparent wrongs are in other words called ''deficiency of service like administering massive overdose of drugs and steroids, faulty surgery, etc," Shah explained.