SC: Kerala HC judgment on service display at clinics is upheld by the

SC: The Supreme Court on Tuesday delayed a Kerala High Court ruling that issued a number of instructions, including requiring clinical facilities to show a list of services provided. This decision was a tremendous relief to the Kerala Private Hospitals Association (KPHA) and others.

A two-judge panel of the High Court rendered the decision on November 26 while rejecting appeals against a single-judge ruling that denied a petition contesting certain clauses of the Kerala Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2018.

After considering an appeal submitted by the KPHA and one Hussain Koya Thangal, a two-judge highest court panel led by Justice Vikram Nath stayed the HC ruling.

While notifying the state government and other relevant parties about the appeal, the SC asked for their responses and instructed the relevant authorities to refrain from using any coercive measures against the association’s members until the next hearing date on February 3.

As the top court heard the appeal, it permitted the petitioners to include the Center as a party in the case and requested assistance from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Members of the group will continue to register under section 19 of the Act, according to the top court.

A list of the services provided and the baseline and package rates for commonly performed procedures must be prominently displayed at the reception and on the official website of each clinical establishment, in both Malayalam and English, according to the HC, which also issued a number of directives. It should be noted that any unforeseen complications or additional procedures must be itemized.

Additionally, the HC issued an order requiring all healthcare facilities to have a grievance desk or hotline, record all complaints with a unique reference number, and promptly acknowledge them by text message, WhatsApp, or paper form.