Private hospitals and clinics across the state remained closed today in protest against the state government’s plan to implement the Clinical Establishment Act even as the government has invited representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for talks on December 21.

Amit Jha, Principal Secretary, Health, confirms that a meeting has been fixed with the state unit of the IMA on December 21 to discuss the modalities for implementation of the Act.

The same day, another meeting has been fixed with representatives of big hospitals such as Fortis, Max and Medanta etc, he says.

The government, it is learnt, wants to implement the Act in such a manner to safeguard the interests of common people without putting doctors in hardship.

Sources say that the government may agree to keep hospitals and clinics up to a certain number of beds out of the purview of the Act.

The sources say that the state government is yet to decide whether to implement the Haryana Clinical Establishment Act, 2014, after suitable amendments that address the concerns of the IMA or go for the central Clinical Establishment Act, 2010.

“The Central Act has its advantages, since the Centre already has a website, a dedicated IT support for registration of hospitals and nursing homes, a complete data of hospitals registered in each state, standard treatment guidelines for 227 diseases coming under 35 specialities, minimum standards of hospitals, cost regulations etc. Besides, the Central Government provides technical and training support and provides two people at the state level and one at the district level for its implementation,” said the sources.