Patna: Judicial intervention by the Patna high court has led to the Bihar govt notifying new regulations to bring thousands of small hospitals and clinics under a legal framework aimed at improving patient safety and curbing illegal medical practice.The Bihar Small and Medium Healthcare Establishments (Establishment and Registration) Regulations, 2026, notified by the health department on June 3, make it mandatory for all healthcare establishments with 1 to 40 beds to obtain registration within 15 days. Independent OPDs and diagnostic centres offering allopathy, ayurveda and homeopathy services are also required to secure online provisional registration. Unregistered establishments now face financial penalties and sealing under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The new regulations arose from directions issued by Justice Rajiv Roy of the Patna high court while hearing a bail plea on Nov 24 last year. The case involved a couple accused of running an unregistered hospital in Bhojpur district, where a young woman allegedly died after childbirth because of negligence during a blood transfusion.Taking serious note of the incident, the court directed the health department to frame regulatory guidelines for small clinics and hospitals operating across the state. The order also triggered judicial scrutiny of the functioning of unregistered medical establishments in Bihar.While hearing another bail plea on June 19 this year, state counsel Prashant Pratap informed the court that the new regulations had been notified. Justice Roy appreciated the efforts of Pratap and public prosecutor Jitendra Singh for ensuring effective coordination that helped translate the court’s directions into a regulatory framework with significant implications for public safety.
