AMARAVATI: To monitor private hospitals and prevent any irregularities while ensuring better healthcare services to the people, the Andhra Pradesh government will soon set up a 16-member state-level advisory panel comprising special Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary- health, as the ex-officio Chairman, along with 10 nominated members from stakeholder associations.

An order to this effect was recently issued to constitute the State Level Panel. It will have an additional secretary-law, deputy secretary- women development and child welfare, and deputy secretary- social welfare, and commissioner- health and family welfare as members.

Among 10 nominated members, there will be two each will be deputed by Indian Medical Association and AP Nursing Homes Association, two eminent doctors, one from District Consumer Forum, a social activist, a health professional and a professional from women welfare organisation. The term of office of all nominated members will be three years.

As per reports in the Deccan Chronicle, there are nearly 8,825 private medical care establishments under 11 categories including hospitals, diagnostic labs and others in the state at present. The upcoming state-level panel has to regulate them right from registration to day-to-day functioning to implementation of acts, health schemes etc. The panel also will inspect the establishments and recommend penal action including suspension and even their registration based on the intensity of violation of norms.

State health authorities say that once the government order is notified in the AP gazette, the state-level panel will be constituted and will become operational soon. A senior health official said that the state government is going to constitute advisory panels at state and district levels to keep tabs on all private medical establishments to ensure better health care and services to the people in the state.

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