Date:09/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/09/stories/2008030954650600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Regulatory body sought for corporate hospitals

HYDERABAD: The Jana Vignana Vedika has demanded constitution of a regulatory commission to oversee the working of corporate hospitals.

N. Venugopala Rao, president, T. Ramesh, general secretary, and M. Geyananda, convener of the health wing, in a statement condemned the demands raised by corporate hospitals at a recent CII meet here. They felt that their suggestion to hand over government hospitals to corporates and to not raise their fees was ‘condemnable’.

The vedika leaders wanted the government to levy heavy penalties on corporate hospitals and realise dues from them in lieu of concessions to be given to people, besides a Rs. 1,000-crore tertiary care fund for teaching hospitals.