Chapter 1 Preliminary

(1) This act may be called the Madhya Pradesh Upcharyagriha Tatha Rujopchar Samabandi Sthapnaye (Registrikaran Tatha Anugyapan) Adhiniyam, 1973.

(2) It extends to the whole of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

(3) It shall come into force on such date and in such means as the State Government may, by notification, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different means.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires , – 1(a) "appellate authority" means the person or authority appointed by the State Government by notification to perform all or any of the functions of appellate authority under this Act; 2(aa) "clinical establishment" means a medical laboratory, a physio-therapy establishment, a clinic, or an establishment analogous to any of them, by whatever name called; (b) "Hospital" means any premises having facilities for treatment of sick and used for their reception or stay; (c) "maternity home" means an establishment where women are usually received and accommodated for the purpose of confinement and ante-natal and post-natal care in connection with child-birth or anything connected therewith; (d) Medical laboratory means an establishment where – (i) Biological,pathological,bacteriological, radiological, microscopic, chemical or other tests, examinations or analysis, or (ii) the preparation of cultures, vaccines, sera or other biological or bacteriological products, In connection with the diagnosis or treatment of disease, are or is usually carried on; (e) "nursing home" means any establishment or premises used or intended to be used for the reception and accommodation of persons suffering from any sickness, injury or infirmity, whether of body, of mind and the providing of treatment or nursing or both for them, and includes a maternity home or convalescent home but does not include, – (i) any hospital or other establishment or premises maintained or controlled by the Central of the State Government or any other authority or body constituted by or under any statute of a competent Legislature; 1 (ii) any psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home established or licensed under the Mental Health Act, 1987 (No 14 of 1987). (f) “Physiotherapy establishment” means an establishment where massaging, electro-therapy, hydro-therapy, remedial gymnastics or similar processes are usually carried on, for the purpose of treatment of diseases or of infirmity or for improvement of health, or for the purpose of relaxation or for any other purpose whatsoever whether or not analogous to the purposes herein before mentioned in this clause; (g) “Qualified medical practitioner” means a medical practitioner registered in any state in India under any law for the time being in force for the registration of medical practitioners; (h) “Qualified midwife” means a midwife or an auxiliary nurse-midwife who possess any of the qualification included in section B or C, as the case may be, of part I of the Schedule of the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947 (48 of 1947), and who enrolled as a mid-wife or any auxiliary nurse mid wife in a state; (i) "qualified nurse" means a person who possesses the qualifications included in section A of Part I of Schedule to the Indian Nursing, Council Act, 1947 (48 of 1947) , and who is enrolled as a nurse; (j) "register" means a register maintained under this Act and the expression “registered”, and “registration” shall be construed accordingly; (k) "supervising authority" means the person or authority appointed by the state government by notification to perform all or any of the function of the supervising authority under this Act.

No person shall open, keep or carry on a nursing home or a clinical establishment without being registered in respect thereof and except under and in accordance with the terms of a license granted therefore.

Explanation: – The expression carry on a nursing home means to receive person in a nursing home for any of the purpose mentioned in clause (e) of section 2 and to provide treatment of nursing or both for them.

(1) Every person intending to open keep or carry on a nursing home or a clinical establishment shall make * an application to the supervising authority for registration in respect of the nursing home or the clinical establishment and for the grant of a license therefore, or for the renewal of registration and the license;

Provided that nothing in this section or in section 3 shall apply in the case of a nursing home or a clinical establishment which is in existence in any area at the date of the commencement of this Act in that area for a period of three months such date or if an application for registration and the grant of a license is made within that period in accordance with sub-section (2) until such application has been finally dispose of.

(2) Every application for registration in respect of a nursing home or a clinical establishment and for the grant of license therefore or for the renewal of the registration and the license shall contain such particular and shall be accompanied by such fees, as may be prescribed.

(3) The supervising authority, if satisfied that the applicant and the nursing home or the establishment, as the case may be fulfill such conditions as may be prescribed, shall register the applicant in respect of such nursing home or clinical establishment and shall grant him a certificate of registration in relation to the nursing home or clinical establishment, as the case may be and a license therefore in such form as may be prescribed.

(4) The supervising authority may reject an application if he is satisfied –

(a) That the applicant, or any person employed by him at the nursing home or the clinical establishment, is not a fit person, whether by reason of age or otherwise, to carry on or to be employed at, the nursing home or the clinical establishment of such a description as the nursing home or clinical establishment named in the application; or

(b) That the applicant or the nursing home or the clinical establishment does not fulfill the condition prescribed under sub section (3); or

(c) That the real object of the applicant is to use, or allow the nursing home or clinical establishment to be used for unsocial or immoral purpose or for both; or

(d) In the case of a nursing home other than a maternity home, that the nursing home is not or will not be under the charge of a qualified medical practitioner resident therein and that the nursing of persons received and accommodated therein is not or will not be under the superintendence of a qualified nurse resident there in; or

(e) In the case of a maternity home that such maternity home is not or will not be under the charge of qualified midwife and that the attendance on every woman before, at, or after child-birth or on any child born is not or will not be under superintendence of a qualified midwife resident therein; or

(f) That for reasons connected with the situation, construction, accommodation, staffing or equipment, the nursing home or clinical establishment is not fit to be used for a nursing home or the clinical establishment of such a description as the nursing home or the clinical establishment mentioned in the application;

and shall in every case, where the application is rejected, record the grounds for rejection.

(5) Every license granted under sub-section (3) shall be upon such terms as may be prescribed and such terms may, inter alia, require,-

(a) Such precautions to be observed for safe guarding that the nursing home or the clinical establishment is not used for unsocial or immoral purpose or both;

(b) such sanitary and hygienic measures be taken and such accommodation to be provided as may be specified by the supervising authority;

(c) Such minimum equipment to be provided as may be specified by the supervising authority in this behalf;

(d) In the case of nursing homes records to be kept of persons received and accommodated and intimation to be given to specified authority of births, deaths and miscarriages therein, and such statistics shall be transmitted each month, besides an annual report to the concerned Ministry of the Central Government, and to such other authorities as may be prescribed;

(e) In the case of clinical establishment, records to be kept of persons investigated or treated therein, and such statistics shall be forwarded each month to the State Government and to the concerned Ministry of the Central Government.

*(6) A certificate of registration and a license issued under this section shall, subject to the provisions of section 5, be in force and shall be valid until the 31st day of March of the third year next following the date of which such certificate of registration and license was issued.

(7) A certificate of registration issued in respect of nursing home or a clinical establishment shall be kept affixed in a conspicuous place in the nursing home or the clinical establishment, as the case may be.

If at any time after any person has been registered in respect of any nursing home or clinical establishment and granted a license therefor, the supervising authority is satisfied, –

(i) that the terms of the license are not being complied with ; and

(ii) that any of the grounds which would have entitled him to refuse the application for registration or license, exist ; or

(iii) that the person registered and licensed, has been convicted of an offence punishable under this Act ; or

(iv) that any other person who has been convicted of an offence under this Act is materially interested in the nursing home or the clinical establishment.

he may cancel such registration and license.

(1) Before making an order refusing an application for registration and license in respect of a nursing home or a clinical establishment or an order canceling any registration and license in respect thereof, the supervising authority shall give to the applicant or to the person registered and licensed not less than one calendar month's notice of its intention to make such an order, and every such notice shall state the grounds on which the supervising authority intends to make the order and shall contain in intimation to the effect that if within a calendar month of the receipt of the notice the applicant or the person registered informs the authority in writing that he desires so to do, the supervising authority shall, before making the order, give him an opportunity of showing cause (in person or by representative) why the order should not be made. (2) If the supervising authority after giving the applicant or the person registered an opportunity of showing cause as aforesaid, decides to refuse the application for registration and license or to cancel the registration and the license, as the case may be, it shall make an order to that effect and shall send a copy of the order by registered post to the applicant or the person registered. (3) Any person aggrieved by an order refusing an application for registration and license, or canceling any registration and license may, within a period of a calendar month after the date on which the copy of the order was received by him, appeal to the 1appellate authority, against such order. 1 (4) Deleted.

(5) An appeal shall not operate as a stay of the order appealed against except so far as the 2appellate authority, may order.

(6) 3 The appellate authority may, for sufficient cause order the stay of the order appealed against until further orders or until the disposal of the appeal whichever is earlier.

(7) Where an application is made for stay of the order appealed against before the expiration of the time prescribed for appealing there from the supervising authority, which made the order may, on sufficient cause being shown, order the stay .

(1) Subject to the provisions of the rules made under this Act, any officer authorized by the State Government in this behalf may, –

(a) enter, any time by night or by day, with or without notice any place or establishment which he has reason to believe is being used as a nursing home or a clinical establishment;

(b) make examination of the place or establishment and inspect any equipment, articles or documents found therein;

(c) make such inquiries and put such question to any person found in such place or establishment as he deems necessary in order to ascertain whether the place or the establishment is being used as a nursing home or clinical establishment or not.

(2) No person shall obstruct an officer authorized under sub-section (1) in the exercise of any power conferred by that sub-section or make any false or reckless statement in answer to a question put by such officer in exercise of the powers conferred on him under clause (c) of that sub-section.