Chandigarh admn says no to nursing homes in residential areas
In the action-taken report presented at the Administrator’s Advisory Council meeting on Saturday, the Chandigarh Estate Office clearly stated that a proposal regarding the conversion of residential units into nursing homes had not been approved by the competent authority
The UT Estate Office has rejected the proposal to allow nursing homes to operate from residential areas of Chandigarh.
In the action-taken report presented at the Administrator’s Advisory Council meeting on Saturday, the UT Estate Office clearly stated that a proposal regarding the conversion of residential units into nursing homes had not been approved by the competent authority.
The department also shared that at present, there were 34 such nursing homes in Chandigarh. The UT decision will not effect these establishments.
During the last meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council held on August 18, 2023, former vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, Dr Raj Bahadur had proposed that the UT administration should allow nursing homes in the city’s residential areas.
Dr Bahadur had stated that Chandigarh was originally well-planned for nursing homes due to its smaller population, but with the population increasing tremendously, the number of nursing homes, which was once 28, had now dwindled to just nine. He added, “To improve healthcare services in Chandigarh, private practices should be permitted to enhance their facilities within their respective areas.”
However, the UT Estate Office has rejected this proposal.
The UT director of health services, in the action-taken report, stated that it was true that nursing homes had been closing or relocating over time due to the high costs of running hospitals and regulatory issues. “Earlier, the finance secretary had conducted meetings to resolve the matter,” the report noted.
No progress on policy
In July 2022, then UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit had halted plans to run nursing homes in residential areas, instructing officials to put the draft policy on hold until earmarked sites were auctioned. However, even after two years, the policy has yet to be framed.
Former member of Parliament Kirron Kher had been staunchly advocating revival of the 1999 policy that allowed nursing homes on residential plots.
The 1999 policy required a minimum plot size of 500 square yards for nursing homes, along with provisions for parking both inside and outside the premises, depending on the number of beds. However, the administration discontinued this policy in 2005 due to parking issues and heavy traffic congestion.
In 2020, Kher had written to the administration, stating, “The demand for allowing nursing homes in residential areas has been persistent from various associations. There is a shortage of private doctors in the city and a lot of the burden falls on government hospitals. Chandigarh’s government hospitals also cater to patients from neighbouring states. If new private nursing homes are allowed in residential areas across Chandigarh, as is the case in neighbouring states, it will certainly reduce the strain on government hospitals and people will have access to better healthcare facilities closer to home.”
She had also added that this would also create more employment opportunities for medical and paramedical staff.