New Building Norms Ease Healthcare Infra Constraints

New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) Healthcare industry body NATHEALTH on Sunday said the government's move to ease height restrictions for hospitals subject to enhanced fire safety provisions is expected to address structural constraints, including limited bed capacity, and underutilisation of existing infrastructure, particularly in urban centres.

Welcoming the government's notification of the National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) 2026, NATHEALTH said it eases long-standing height restrictions for hospitals and permits Intensive Care Units (ICUs) beyond 45 metres, subject to enhanced fire safety provisions.

"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.

The new NBCS 2026 rules mark a significant and timely step towards enabling future-ready healthcare infrastructure in India, NATHEALTH President Sangita Reddy said.


"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 the Group Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group.

NATHEALTH said 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, it added.

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, the healthcare industry body noted.

The revised standards are expected to unlock additional capacity by enabling vertical expansion, while maintaining robust patient safety norms, it said.