Tue Jun 17 16:41:39 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**West Bengal Passes Bill to Regulate Private Healthcare Costs, Mandate Transparency**

KOLKATA, June 17, 2025 – The West Bengal Legislative Assembly today passed the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation, and Transparency) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at regulating the cost of treatment in private hospitals and protecting patients from exorbitant charges.

The bill, an amendment to the 2017 Act, seeks to increase transparency, ensure adherence to fixed rates and package deals, and mandate electronic medical record-keeping in private clinical establishments. It requires hospitals to provide clear treatment estimates, communicate updated charges every 24 hours, and prohibits final bills from exceeding initial estimates by a certain percentage.

“Every clinical establishment must strictly follow fixed rates and charges including the package rates for investigation, bed charges, operation theatre procedures” the bill stated.

Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari raised concerns about women’s safety, patient confidentiality, and the practicality of the 24-hour charge update requirement, questioning if it would be possible for hospital to follow this timeline when receiving test result for patients.

Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya responded that the bill would ensure timely cost information for patients and regulate the private healthcare sector.

Rupak Baruah, President of the Association of Hospitals of Eastern India, called the bill a positive step towards resolving misunderstandings but noted the dynamic nature of medical treatment.

**Summary of the Text:**

The article reports on the West Bengal Legislative Assembly passing a bill to regulate private healthcare costs and increase transparency. The bill aims to protect patients from inflated charges by mandating fixed rates, detailed estimates, and electronic record-keeping. The opposition raised concerns about women’s safety and patient privacy. The health minister defended the bill, emphasizing its goal of regulating the private healthcare sector. A hospital association representative acknowledged the bill’s potential to improve understanding between hospitals and the public while highlighting the challenges of rigid systems in healthcare.

Read More