Centre eases building height norms to allow vertical expansion of Hospitals, ETHealthworld
New Delhi: Addressing a long-standing demand of the private healthcare sector, the Centre has relaxed height restriction for hospitals, clearing vertical expansion of new greenfield projects beyond the existing 45-metre cap.
Replacing the National Building Code (NBC), the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) last week notified the new National Building Construction Standards 2026, easing infrastructure constraints imposed on hospitals and intensive care units, subject to enhanced fire safety provisions.
Welcoming the amendments, Dr Sangita Reddy, Group MD, Apollo Hospitals and President, NATHEALTH said, “the new rules mark a timely step towards enabling future-ready healthcare infrastructure in India. By unlocking much-needed capacity across the healthcare ecosystem, it will enable hospitals to operate more efficiently and optimize costs benefits that can ultimately be passed on to patients.”
“Land and construction costs remain a significant component of the overall investment required to build a hospital. The ability to expand vertically will help address capacity gaps in high-density urban centres while avoiding the long gestation periods associated with new hospital developments,” Dr Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, MD and CEO, Fortis Healthcare added.
According to NATHEALTH, the reform will enable hospitals to better utilize existing infrastructure, improve operational efficiencies, while reducing the need for new greenfield projects that are both capital-intensive and time-consuming.
