Health Ministry finalises treatment protocol for cardiovascular diseases

Norms for 19 other disciplines likely to be ready in two months

The Health Ministry has finalised the norms for clinical and surgical intervention in cardiovascular diseases. It is the first of the 20 disciplines for which standard treatment guidelines STGs are being drawn up. Guidelines for the other disciplines should be ready in another two months or so,said ministry officials.

These norms will be binding on all clinical establishments registered under the Clinical Establishment Act,2010. The Act has been adopted by six states Uttar Pradesh,Mizoram,Sikkim,Rajasthan,Arunachal Pradesh,Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand and all Union Territories. Others like West Bengal have their own CE Act. The ministry hopes to persuade all states to come under its Act.

The medical insurance sector has been demanding STGs for long as it feels that in the absence of laid-down protocols,hospitals often adopt unnecessary procedures on insured patients. This is the first time that such a concerted attempt has been made to systematise medical practice across the country. Some states like Tamil Nadu do have their own STGs.

The government has been working on STGs for close to two years. In March 2012. the Prime Ministers Office had pushed for its speedy framing for use in the National Rural Health Mission NRHM. The guidelines lay down protocol for clinical or surgical intervention in all common diseases associated with that specialty and is expected to be bulwark for medical regulation. Violations may entail punitive action or even deregistration. But at this stage,sources say,action may be taken only if complaints are received.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries FICCI,which coordinated the framing process,had submitted the STGs to the ministry in September 2012. But it is only now that expert meetings are being held every week to finalise it. We have finalised the STGs for 12 disciplines. We are uploading all the final guidelines on our website in a phased manner, said DG health services Dr Jagdish Prasad.

Experts who framed the STGs for heart diseases include Dr Balram Airan,head of CTVS Centre in AIIMS; Dr Balran Bhargava,professor of cardiology,AIIMS; Dr Tapan Ghosh of Fortis Vasant Kunj; Dr Satyavan Sharma of Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr Karthikeyan Ganesan of AIIMS.