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GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARREDQUESTION NO. *91
TO BE ANSWERED ONTHE 24THJULY,2026
ARBITRARYCONSULTATION FEES CHARGED BYPRIVATE MEDICAL
PRACTITIONERS
†*91. SHRI SUDHAKAR SINGH:
Will the MINISTER OFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that Private Medical Practitioners in the country charged
consultation fees from the patients, including separate fees to follow-up consultation within
shortperiod, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Union Government has issued any guidelines regarding the fees to be charged by
Private Medical Practitioners for follow-up consultations, if so, the details thereof;
(c) if not, whether the Government proposes to formulate any policy or guidelines in the
interest of patients to prevent the private practitioners from charging any fees on a follow-up visit
within 30 days at least soas to provide relief to the affected patients;
(d) whether the Government proposes to formulate a regulatory mechanism or a standard policy in
this regard; and
(e) if so, the timeline thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
(SMTANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) to(e)AStatementislaidonthe Table of the House.STATEMENTREFERRED TO IN REPLYTOLOK SABHA
STARREDQUESTION NO. *91FOR24THJULY,2026
(a) to (e): As per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, public health and regulation of
hospitals are primarily State subjects. Accordingly, regulation of charges levied by private hospitals,
diagnostic centers and private medical practitioners, including consultation fees and follow-up
consultation charges fall within the domain of the respective State Governments and Union Territory
Administrations.
Further, the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 (CE Act) and notified
Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012 amended in 2018 and 2020 provide for
registration and regulation of Government (except those of Armed Forces) as well as private clinical
establishments belonging to recognized systems of medicine. As per CE Act, the clinical
establishments are required to fulfill the conditions of minimum standards for each type of service
provided. The CE Act is adopted by 19 States/UTs (12 States, viz., Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttarakhand & Uttar
Pradesh and 7 UTs, viz., Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman
& Diu, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh,Lakshadweep& Puducherry).
For registration of clinical establishments, the CE Rules, inter-alia, stipulates thatclinical establishment
shall display the rates charged for each type of service provided and facilities available, for the benefit
of the patients at a conspicuous place in the local as well as in English language and shall charge the
rates for each type of procedures and services within range of rates. The matter of determination of
range of ratesis, at present, sub-judice inthe Hon’ble SupremeCourt of India.
Also, Section 1.8 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics)
Regulations, 2002 framed by the erstwhile Medical Council of India (now National Medical
Commission), stipulates that a physician engaged in the practice of medicine shall give priority to the
interests of patients and that the personal financial interests of a physician should not conflict with the
medical interests of patients. The Regulations also provide that a physician should announce the fees
before rendering services and the remuneration received for such services should be in the form and
amountspecifically announcedtothe patientat the time the service isrendered.
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