The Maharashtra government on Friday, 3 July 2026 introduced the Maharashtra Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill, a sweeping legislative overhaul that will repeal the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration Act (XV of 1949) — a 77-year-old law — and bring all healthcare facilities in the state under a single, unified regulatory framework. State Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar tabled the Bill in the legislature, describing it as a decisive shift toward a modernised, digital-first approach to healthcare governance.

Why the Old Law Was No Longer Enough

The 1949 Act was narrowly confined to the registration and inspection of nursing homes and maternity homes. Over the intervening decades, Maharashtra's healthcare ecosystem expanded dramatically to include diagnostic laboratories, day-care centres, multi-specialty hospitals, and private clinics — the vast majority of which operated outside any comprehensive state regulatory framework. The Bill directly addresses this regulatory vacuum.

The proposed legislation is modelled on Parliament's Clinical Establishments Act, 2010, extending its principles to cover all recognised systems of medicine operating within the state. According to the Bill's 'Statement of Objects and Reasons', the overarching goal is to enforce mandatory minimum standards for facilities and services across the board.

Key Provisions of the Bill

The Bill proposes the constitution of the Maharashtra State Council for Clinical Establishments, which will be tasked with prescribing minimum service standards. Local Clinical Establishments Registering Authorities will also be established to supervise provisional and permanent registrations, renewals, and cancellations.

Clinical establishments will be legally required to display their service rates and charges prominently within their premises. Routine inspections will be empowered by law, and an updated state register of all establishments will be maintained. Stringent penalties are proposed for any establishment found in contravention of the Bill's provisions.

New Patient Rights Under the Bill

For the first time in Maharashtra, patients will have explicit statutory rights — including the right to clear information about the nature of their illness, an official diagnosis, a detailed treatment plan, and a transparent, itemised cost estimate before treatment begins. Minister Abitkar said the legislation is specifically intended to protect patients from inflated billing and arbitrary medical charges.

This comes amid growing national concern over opaque hospital billing practices, with several states and the Centre having faced pressure to standardise pricing and disclosure norms across private healthcare providers.

What Happens Next

The tabling of the Bill marks the beginning of the formal legislative process. It will now be subject to debate and committee review before it can be enacted. Once passed, the 1949 Nursing Homes Registration Act will stand fully repealed. Officials indicated that the new framework will introduce a digital-first registration and compliance system, though a specific rollout timeline has not yet been announced.

The move positions Maharashtra alongside states that have already adopted or are adapting the Central Clinical Establishments Act framework, signalling a broader push toward standardised healthcare regulation across India.