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          Patna, July 19 (IANS) The Bihar assembly Tuesday enacted laws   to regulate private nursing homes and to protect doctors from being attacked by   the attendants of patients, officials said.In a bid to check the   mushrooming of ill-equipped private nursing homes and clinics in the state, the   lawmakers approved the adoption of the central government's Clinical   Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010.
 
 
 |  The assembly also passed the Bihar Medical Service Institution and Persons   Protection Bill, 2011, that makes attacks on doctors or a medical service   institution a cognizable offence, officials said.
 The adoption of the act   on regulation of nursing homes would make it mandatory for all such institutions   to get themselves registered, failing which their owners would be liable for   punishment with fine, which may go up to Rs.5 lakh.
 
 An official of the   health department said that with the adoption of the act the existing Bihar   Clinical Establishments (control and regulation) Act, 2007 was   repealed.
 
 The legislation on protection of doctors would meet the demand   by them seeking a shield in view of the rising incidents of attack on them and   vandalism of clinics by attendants of patients.
 
 Any attack on doctors or   a medical institution would now be treated as a cognizable offence. A cognizable   offence is one in which police are empowered to register a first information   report (FIR), investigate and arrest an accused.
 
 The offenders who   attack doctors or clinics would now have to pay double the amount of the damage   caused to property.
 
 
 
 
      
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