Gymnasiums, spas and beauty parlours are likely to be classified as clinical establishments under an Act that prescribes the minimum standards of facilities and services provided by such wellness centres. If implemented, these wellness centres would have to maintain minimum safety and hygiene standards, keep customer records in a prescribed format and register themselves with the National/State Council of Clinical Establishments set up under the Act. The Health Ministry has invited comments from the stakeholder on the draft rules suggested under the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010, which was notified in 2012, two years after it was passed by Parliament. The last date for submitting the feedback is October 9. A 20-member National Council headed by the director general health services was set up soon after the notification of the Act. This is the first time that a concerted effort is being made to regulate establishments like gyms and beauty parlours from a health point of view, setting minimum standards of equipment, personnel and services. Currently, only local municipal and police authorities grant relevant licences to these establishments with no check on the quality of services. Any establishment that breaks the rules could be fined Rs 10,000, if the nature of the violation was not life threatening. A serious violation of the rules could even lead to cancellation of the registration. Running an unregistered centre could invite penalties ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh. According to the rules framed under the Act, a wellness centre has been defined as a “healthcare facility that provides scientifically proven physical interventions with positive outcomes for improvement or maintenance of (a) physical form (b) promotion of body functions and health lifestyles (c) enhancement of beauty as perceived by the customer.” The types of establishments that fit that bill are gymnasiums, spas, skin, hair and cosmetic centres, beauty salon, fitness, nutrition therapy centres and those promising cures through naturopathy or Ayush. The rules also lay down minimum standards for hospitals which have been bundled into four levels — level 1 that provides primary healthcare services including obstetrics and gynaecology and has a bed strength of upto 30, level 2 that provides secondary healthcare facilities, level 3 that provides multi-speciality clinical care and level 4 which is a teaching hospital. While the specific regulations differ for each level but availability of drugs of consumables has been made mandatory. Standards have also been set for mobile clinics, stem cell laboratories and physiotherapy centres. Elaborate standards have also been set for 34 super speciality centres with checklists provided for the minimum equipments and drugs that should be available at these centres that include those providing imaging facilities like PET, CT and Doppler, dental services and psychiatry services. In addition, standard treatment guidelines that are the very basis of medical standards in the West have for the first time been finalised for 20 specialities in India.
