NEW DELHI: Healthcare industry body on Sunday said the centre’s move to ease long-standing height restrictions for hospitals, subject to enhanced fire safety provisions, will address structural constraints such as high land costs, limited bed capacity, and underutilisation of existing infrastructure, particularly in urban centres.
Welcoming the notification of the National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) 2026, which eases long-standing height restrictions for hospitals and permits Intensive Care Units (ICUs) beyond 45 metres, subject to fire safety norms, The NATHEALTH (Healthcare Federation of India) said it firmly believes that enabling efficient and scalable healthcare infrastructure is central to its vision of ‘Swasth Bharat se Viksit Bharat.’
Noting that such reforms are critical to improving access, affordability, and overall health outcomes, NATHEALTH said, for years, high land costs and restrictive building norms have prevented hospitals from optimising construction and infrastructure, often resulting in fewer beds than required to meet growing demand.
Dr Sangita Reddy, President, NATHEALTH and Group Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, “The new NBCS 2026 rules mark a significant and timely step towards enabling future-ready healthcare infrastructure in India.”
“This is a progressive reform that NATHEALTH has consistently advocated for in the larger public good. By unlocking much-needed capacity across the healthcare ecosystem, it will enable hospitals to operate more efficiently and optimise cost benefits that can ultimately be passed on to patients, while maintaining the highest standards of safety,” she added.
The revised standards are expected to unlock additional capacity by enabling vertical expansion, while maintaining robust patient safety norms.
The reform will also allow hospitals to better utilise existing infrastructure, reducing the need for new greenfield projects that are both capital-intensive and time-consuming. This is expected to improve operational efficiencies and, over time, contribute to lowering the cost of care for patients.
Varun Khanna, Vice President, NATHEALTH and Group Managing Director, Quality Care India Ltd, said, “Addressing structural constraints has long been a core priority to the evolution of India’s healthcare system.”
“This reform has the potential to unlock capacity in a far more efficient manner, enabling hospitals to expand without proportionate increases in capital expenditure by optimally leveraging existing infrastructure, following safety standards. More importantly, strengthening healthcare infrastructure is not just a sectoral priority - it is an economic imperative. The ability to deliver timely, high-quality care at scale has a direct bearing on health outcomes, workforce productivity, and the broader resilience of the economy,” he added.
Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, Managing Director and CEO, Fortis Healthcare, said, “Land and construction costs remain a significant component of the overall investment required to build a hospital. The ability to expand vertically and make better use of existing facilities is therefore a critical enabler.”
“This will help address capacity gaps in high-density urban centres while avoiding the long gestation periods associated with new hospital developments. Over the longer term, such measures can contribute to more sustainable cost structures and improved access to quality care.”
India’s healthcare system is at a critical juncture, with rising demand for advanced care and the need for scalable infrastructure. By enabling vertical expansion while maintaining robust safety standards, NBCS 2026 lays a strong foundation for building resilient, efficient, and patient-centric healthcare facilities, they said.
NATHEALTH, which has consistently advocated for such reforms in the larger public interest, has commended the Bureau of Indian Standards for this important step and said they continue to look forward to continued collaboration in strengthening India’s healthcare ecosystem.