Maharashtra: PPP model to start medical colleges

Maharashtra: The medical education department has chosen a PPP based model for starting new medical colleges in the state.

Under the new approach, there are plans to open two new medical colleges- one in Wadala and one in Raigad — partnering with the Mumbai Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), reported to be already underway.

The announcement also coincides with the recent celebration marking the 90

th anniversary of Wadia Hospital, which is the first operating PPP model based hospital and medical college in the state.

Education Minister Vinod Tawde in his statement implied that this decision would ease the pressure on the government by relieving it from bearing the cost of building infrastructure, and resulting in more medical colleges in the state.

Tawde also implied that the fee structure of these colleges will be at par with government rate, and therefore, keep it distinguished from the private colleges.

Express reported that for the two medical colleges being planned, a meeting was set up with Union Minister of Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari to discuss the possibility of setting up a medical college at the MbPT hospital in Wadala East, he said. “He agreed to start a college.

With him, ONGC also got on board to start a college at Raigad,” Tawde said. A committee, headed by Medical Council of India (MCI) member Dr Ved Prakash Mishra, has now been formed to deliberate on the number of medical seats and teaching specialty required. The department will present its proposal to the MCI for approval within three months. “The challenge still remains to get super specialty doctors in which there is a dearth. We will focus on creating courses for post graduate specialisation,” Tawde added. At present, Wadia is the only hospital on PPP basis providing teaching courses.