Gandhinagar: The “Gujarat Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Second Amendment Bill, 2025” was passed unanimously in the state assembly today, an official statement said.

Explaining the objectives and provisions of the amendment bill, Health Minister Rishikesh Patel said that in order to ensure accurate information about all health institutions in the state—from small clinics to large multi-specialty hospitals, laboratories, and imaging centers—including details of medical and paramedical staff working there, as well as available beds, ICUs, emergency services, etc., the state government had enforced the “Gujarat Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2021” across the state through a notification issued on September 13, 2022.

As per the current provisions of the Gujarat Clinical Establishments Act, 2021, all health institutions in the state were required to complete registration by September 12, 2025.

With the passage of today’s amendment bill, a notification will extend the deadline for applying for provisional registration by seven months, until April 30, 2026.

He added that maintaining data on the type of services provided by hospitals, the facilities and equipment available in clinics and hospitals, and the specialties of doctors would help in digital registry management, policy-making for public welfare, and effective response during emergencies.

Under this Act, institutions covered include hospitals, maternity homes, nursing homes, dispensaries, clinics, sanatoriums, and other facilities providing diagnosis, treatment, or care for illness, injury, disability, deformity, or pregnancy through recognized systems of medicine. It also includes laboratories and institutions offering services such as pathological, bacteriological, genetic, radiological, chemical, and biological tests with the help of medical equipment.

Members of the House held a detailed discussion on the amendment bill, after which it was passed by majority.

It is noteworthy that the Gujarat Clinical Establishments Act, 2021 has been in force since September 13, 2022, while its rules came into effect on September 26, 2022. The amended rules, prescribing standards for medical institutions, have been effective since March 13, 2024.

The Act also provides for penal provisions in case of violations:

• A fine of ₹10,000 to ₹1 lakh for breaching any provision of the Act or rules.

• A fine of ₹25,000 to ₹1 lakh for running a clinic without registration.

• A fine of up to ₹5 lakh for failure to comply with directions of an authorized authority or refusal to provide required information.