West Bengal Clinical Establishment (Amendment) Bill passed by Assembly

IANS June 18, 2025 399 views

The West Bengal Assembly passed the Clinical Establishment (Amendment) Bill to enforce billing transparency in private hospitals. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari criticized the bill for ignoring women's safety in medical facilities. Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya emphasized eliminating hidden costs in medical bills. The bill now awaits the Governor's approval to become law.

"The main idea is to eliminate the possibilities of hidden costs." - Chandrima Bhattacharya
Kolkata, June 17: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to address the issue of frequent complaints received by the state Health Department against private medical establishments over the lack of transparency in billing, was passed by the state Assembly on Tuesday.

Key Points

1

Bill targets private hospitals' opaque billing practices

2

Opposition raises concerns over women's safety in healthcare

3

Governor's assent pending for enactment

4

Session also to discuss Sales Tax Amendment Bill

The bill, which got the house's nod on the seventh day of the ongoing Monsoon Session, will now go to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose for assent before it becomes a law.

As the Bill was presented in the house, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, participating in the debate, claimed that the issue of the safety of the female doctors, female nurses, female patients and female security staff had not been addressed in the said bill.

Minister of State for Finance (independent charge), Chandrima Bhattacharya, who is also the Minister of State for Health, said that the main aim of the new Bill is to ensure transparency in the billing systems of the private medical establishments in the state.

According to her, often private medical establishments are charging extra over the amounts mentioned in the packages availed by the patients for treatment there. At the same time, she added, the authorities of these private medical establishments were also not giving proper explanations to the patients’ families on the extra amounts charged over the amount mentioned in the packages.

"The main idea is to eliminate the possibilities of the hidden costs. At times, the charges may exceed the amount mentioned in the packages. But it is the duty of the authorities of the medical establishments concerned to clarify what necessitated the extra charges," Bhattacharya said.

On Wednesday, the West Bengal Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 will be moved on the floor of the house, which will be followed by a debate.

The Monsoon session of the West Bengal Assembly started on Monday. However, the house was adjourned for the day after “Obituary Mentions” as per protocol. It has resumed from Tuesday and will continue for the next two weeks.

Reader Comments

P
Priya M.
Finally some action against private hospitals charging hidden costs! Last year my father's heart treatment bill was 40% higher than quoted. Had to borrow money from relatives. Hope this bill has strong penalties for violations. 🙏
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Rahul K.
Good step but implementation is key. Many such bills remain only on paper. Also surprised women's safety in hospitals wasn't addressed - that's equally important in today's times.
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Sneha B.
As a nurse in Kolkata, I've seen families struggle with unexpected bills. But hospitals also need flexibility - sometimes complications arise needing extra procedures. The balance must be right.
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Arjun D.
Why only private hospitals? Government hospitals need more accountability too. The bill should cover all medical establishments equally. Health is a right, not privilege!
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Meena S.
Hope this brings relief to middle-class families. Medical expenses are biggest worry after education. But government should also focus on improving public healthcare infrastructure simultaneously.

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West Bengal Clinical Establishment Bill healthcare transparency Suvendu Adhikari Chandrima Bhattacharya