Hyderabad:After operating for over a year without a regulatory body, Telangana’s hospitals and clinics will once again come under official oversight with the reconstitution of the State Council for Clinical Establishments (CEA) through G.O. 173, issued by the health department on October 27.
The council, revived under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010, will be responsible for maintaining state registers of healthcare institutions, ensuring compliance with biomedical waste, fire and municipal norms, monitoring service quality and recommending rule changes based on technological and social needs.
The special chief secretary (health and family welfare) will serve as chairperson, with the directors of medical education, public health and AYUSH as ex officio members. The council also includes representatives from the medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, AYUSH and consumer sectors, ensuring broad multi-sectoral participation.
Among the new members are Dr G. Srinivas, vice-chairman of the Telangana State Medical Council; Dr S. Sarala, retired nursing superintendent, Government Headquarters Hospital, Karimnagar; Dr Ramesh, representing the State Pharmacy Council; and Dr Dayal Singh, retired civil surgeon and treasurer of IMA Telangana. The council also includes Dr Mallu Prasad (Ayurveda), Dr Mir Yousuf Ali (Unani), and Adv. Gowrishankar Rao from the Confederation of Telangana Consumer Organisations.
The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) described the reconstitution as “a long overdue but vital correction” after the previous council’s term ended in 2024, leaving hospitals in procedural uncertainty for several months.
However, HRDA cautioned that the revival of the regulatory body should not impose excessive compliance burdens on small and medium healthcare providers. “The same rules cannot apply to 200-bed corporate hospitals and 10-bed rural clinics,” said Dr Bandari Rajkumar, senior HRDA representative. He urged the government to differentiate between large and small establishments and to exempt those below 20 beds from the Act’s purview.
The association also sought simplified online registration and renewal, a single-window clearance system for permissions, and the inclusion of practising doctors in future consultations. HRDA said balanced regulation could help strengthen patient safety without stifling affordable care in smaller hospitals and semi-urban areas.
