Healthcare industry body NATHEALTH on Sunday welcomed the government’s National Building Construction Standards (NBCS) 2026, saying the new norms easing height restrictions on hospitals are expected to reduce infrastructure bottlenecks and improve access to healthcare, news agency PTI reported.The industry body said the revised standards allow hospitals to build beyond the previous limits and allow 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 underutilization of existing infrastructure, especially in urban centres.“This move is expected to address structural constraints such as high land costs, limited bed capacity, and underutilization of existing infrastructure, especially in urban centres,” NATHEALTH said in a statement.The new NBCS 2026 rules represent an important step in building a future-ready healthcare infrastructure in India, said Sangeeta Reddy, President, NATHEALTH.“By unlocking much-needed capabilities across the healthcare ecosystem, this will enable hospitals to operate more efficiently and optimize 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, Apollo Hospitals.
The reform will also help hospitals make better use of existing facilities, reducing reliance on costly and time-consuming new greenfield projects, the industry body said.This is expected to improve operational efficiency and gradually help reduce treatment costs for patients.High land prices and restrictive building regulations have for years prevented hospitals from improving infrastructure, often resulting in fewer beds than needed to meet growing demand, NATHEALTH said.She added that the revised standards are expected to unlock additional capabilities through vertical expansion while maintaining strong patient safety standards.