New hospital building norms ease capacity limits, NATHEALTH says healthcare access to improve

Healthcare industry body NATHEALTH on Sunday welcomed the government’s National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) 2026, saying the new norms easing height restrictions for hospitals are expected to reduce infrastructure bottlenecks and improve access to healthcare, PTI reported.The industry body said the revised standards allow hospitals to build beyond earlier limits and permit Intensive Care Units (ICUs) above 45 metres, subject to enhanced fire safety provisions.According to NATHEALTH, the move is expected to address structural constraints such as high land costs, limited bed capacity and underutilisation of existing infrastructure, especially in urban centres.“The move is expected to address structural constraints such as high land costs, limited bed capacity, and underutilisation of existing infrastructure, particularly in urban centres,” NATHEALTH said in a statement.NATHEALTH President Sangita Reddy said the new NBCS 2026 rules mark an important step in building future-ready healthcare infrastructure in India.“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,” said Reddy, who is also Group Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Group.The industry body said the reform would also help hospitals make better use of existing facilities, reducing dependence on new greenfield projects that are expensive and time-consuming.This, it said, is expected to improve operational efficiency and gradually help lower treatment costs for patients.For years, high land prices and restrictive building regulations have prevented hospitals from optimising infrastructure, often resulting in fewer beds than needed to meet rising demand, NATHEALTH said.The revised standards are expected to unlock additional capacity through vertical expansion while maintaining robust patient safety norms, it added.