Delhi/Hyderabad, Aug 12 (Maxim News): A parliamentary standing committee has recommended a cap on room rents charged by private hospitals in metro cities of the country. It has made it clear that these charges should not be higher than the average rent of 3-star hotels near the respective hospitals. The committee has made these key recommendations with the aim of bringing the rising medical costs under control and reducing the financial burden on patients.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has included these recommendations in its 176th report. The report, titled ‘Accessibility and Affordability of Healthcare Facilities in the Public and Private Sectors’, was tabled in both the Houses of Parliament on August 7. The committee noted that there are huge variations in room rents depending on the infrastructure and services provided in hospitals and suggested that these should be rationalised immediately. It clarified that this provision is applicable only to the basic room rent and that hospitals can charge additional charges for the cost of resident doctors, nursing and meals.
The committee cited data from the National Sample Survey (2025) on this occasion. It said that while the average cost of treatment in a government hospital is Rs. 6,631, it is Rs. 50,508 in private hospitals. For example, while the rent of a single room in a private hospital in Mumbai ranges from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 12,000 per day, the report explained that in nearby 3-star hotels it is between Rs. 2,500 and Rs. 4,500. The committee recommended setting up a statutory mechanism to regulate the prices of key treatments and diagnostic tests in private hospitals, along with room rent.
It has been suggested that the estimated cost should be explained to the patients before the treatment starts. However, some hospital managements have opined that it is not right to compare hospitals with hotels, as the medical services, staff and infrastructure in hospitals are different compared to hotels. At present, these are only advisory recommendations and their implementation depends on the decision taken by the central government.(Maxim News)
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