The state’s private sector clinical facilities have once again raised concerns about the impact the Kerala Clinical Establishments (KCE) Act could have on small and medium hospitals.
With the Kerala High Court fully approving the KCE Act and even expressing its displeasure at the way it was suspended for years, all the hurdles in the way the Act is implemented have been cleared and the government is now keen to complete the registration of both private and public sector hospitals.
While the Kerala Private Hospitals Association moved the Supreme Court against the Supreme Court’s decision, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which was also against the law, last month directed its members that all clinical facilities, except clinics offering only consultation services, should register under the KCE Act as soon as possible.
It said it would continue to negotiate with the government over the clauses, which it said would be “detrimental to the medical profession”.
The IMA again said on Monday that the implementation of the law may affect small and medium-sized hospitals and that 15-bed hospitals should be exempted from the provisions of the law.
The Qualified Private Medical Practitioners Association (QPMPA), which represents more than 3,000 doctors and 400 clinics/hospitals in Kerala, has now also issued a statement saying its members faced several “practical challenges” in implementing the law.
The QPMPA said that while it will work with the government to ensure the implementation of the law, several provisions in the law that relate to minimum standards for clinical facilities, such as floor area requirements, room size specifications, fire NOC, medical staff specifications, pose challenges for hospitals with old buildings. He said small clinics with fewer than 15 beds would find it difficult to meet the standards set for clinical facilities under the law.
Compliance report
The Kerala State Council for Clinical Facilities, which is the registration and implementing agency under the Act, has stepped in to speed up the registration process as it has to submit a compliance report to the Supreme Court.
“We have visited all government and private hospitals across the districts to verify that these institutions have secured registration. No clinical facility, big or small, can be exempted from the registration process. All processes are going smoothly and meanwhile we have also held several rounds of discussions with representatives of IMA, QPMPA and Small and Medium Hospitals Association about their concerns. All these concerns are unnecessary, said JG Sanildmar Council and JG.
“The Council published the requirement for minimum standards for each category of clinical facilities in March 2023. These standards were developed after several meetings and workshops, which were also attended by the IMA and QPMPA,” added Dr. Sanilkumar.
He said the IMA had asked for exemptions for clinics with less than 15 beds. The council and the government were having discussions about it when the HC gave its ruling on the KCE Act along with a set of its own guidelines that hospitals had to compulsorily follow and that the government had to ensure. The government feels that the exemptions sought for clinics with less than 15 beds have become unsustainable after the HC verdict.
As of January 1, a total of 13,566 clinical facilities have secured provisional registration, of which 3,922 are state-owned and 9,644 are private. Approximately 2,818 clinical facilities have secured permanent registration, of which 1,132 are private sector facilities.
Published – 10 Feb 2026 20:32 IST