Maharashtra Sets Healthcare Norms Across State Hospitals by Bed Capacity
MUMBAI — The Maharashtra government has established standardized norms detailing the exact medical services, doctors, diagnostic tests, medicines, and nursing staff required across rural, sub-district, district, general, and women’s hospitals based on their bed capacity.
A new government resolution consolidates existing norms and directs hospital authorities across the state to make every effort to deliver the prescribed healthcare services. The Commissioner of Health Services has been assigned direct responsibility for implementing the new standards.
Under the specified framework, staffing patterns for specialist medical officers have been outlined for 30-bed rural hospitals, 50- to 100-bed sub-district hospitals, 200-bed general hospitals, district hospitals, and women’s hospitals. Separate specialist service norms have also been designated for four psychiatric hospitals, four tuberculosis hospitals, and referral service hospitals.
State-run hospitals must maintain trained nursing staff and allied healthcare professionals, including laboratory technicians, pharmacists, dietitians, optometrists, physiotherapists, and radiology technicians. Additional personnel will be deployed for specialized facilities such as Newborn Stabilisation Units, Special Newborn Care Units, CT scan units, and dialysis centres established under the National Health Mission.
In line with the Indian Public Health Standards 2022, 30-bed rural hospitals are expected to provide 74 diagnostic services, sub-district hospitals 111, and district, general, and women’s hospitals 134. Currently, rural hospitals offer 76 types of tests, 100-bed sub-district hospitals provide 110, and district hospitals provide 122, together accounting for 308 types of diagnostic services.
X-ray and ultrasonography facilities are mandated at all state hospitals. CT scan services have been designated for 100-bed sub-district hospitals and larger institutions, while MRI facilities are expected at district hospitals and institutions with over 200 beds, alongside selected 100-bed facilities.
The resolution further outlines essential medicine requirements, prescribing 403 types of medicines at sub-district hospitals, 438 at district hospitals, and 426 at referral service hospitals. Blood banks will operate at district, referral service, and women’s hospitals, while blood storage units will be maintained at women’s hospitals and first-referral sub-district facilities.
All state hospitals are mandated to operate laboratories, operation theatres, maternity, immunisation, postnatal care, and post-mortem facilities, with dialysis rolled out in phases and AYUSH services provided at district and selected sub-district hospitals. Each facility must also maintain at least one ambulance and provide administrative citizen services, including disability and medical fitness certificates, birth and death registration, Janani Suraksha Yojana benefits, dietary services, and grievance redressal mechanisms.
