MOH: PPP mode for up gradation of district hospitals into medical colleges

New Delhi: In an effort to resolve the problem of the growing need for doctors and hence medical seats, the Union Ministry of Health has decided to adopt the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode for medical colleges, across all districts in the country.

In a letter to the MCI, the Union Ministry has asked it to make criterion amendments for establishment of medical colleges by allowing private partnerships, through memorandum of agreements (MOU), with the Government of India.

Talking to the press, the Union Ministry for Health sources claimed, that this effort was being made in order to upgrade hospitals as medical colleges.

Speaking to the New Indian Express, the ministry sources stated, that the up gradation move of public private partnerships was likely to benefit all district hospitals that required up gradation to turn into colleges.

“The idea is that each district of the country should have a medical college,” the sources claimed. However, the government quota for medical seats would be retained, they reaffirmed.

The Union Ministry directive sent to the MCI contains detailed processes on the PPP mode partnerships of up gradation of hospitals.

The main criterion of up gradation calls for a minimum 300 bed facility along with other infrastructural facilities. This, in order to help hospitals develop into a teaching institution. The other prominent point being: free transportation facilities for students and nine staff members.

The hospital to acquire an upgraded status will have to be transferred from the government to the applicant, which in this case, will have to be a society or trust, the directive states. The transfer would have to be in the form of a memorandum of understanding for a lease period ranging between 33 and 99 years, it further adds.

“While transferring the government hospital, the state government might safeguard the interest of the state, particularly, with respect to admission of students under government quota in the medical college and patient care in the hospital,” the directive states.

Appropriate modifications have been sought in the form of the 300 beds break up- with 120 for surgical specialties, another 120 for medical specialties and 60 for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, to turn the present infrastructures into teaching facilities, mentions the union ministry's note.

The paramedics and other personnel employed would be transferred to the medical college and would be under the administrative control of the Deans of the institutions. This would prevent prevalence of “ duality,” clarifies the ministry's directive to the MCI.