Maharashtra: Panel set up to explore port hospital conversion to medical colleges

In an attempt to produce more doctors and provide better services for patient care, the union government is considering the option of converting port hospitals into modern, developed medical colleges. These hospitals would include those situated at major ports along the coastline. Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) hospital in Wadala would be part of this endeavour.

A committee under Dr Vedprakash Mishra, Chancellor of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed University), Karad, appointed by the Union Ministry of Shipping is to study all the major port hospitals and recommend a model for their modernisation and development. They are to be developed on the PPP model, at no cost to the ports.

A thirteen member committee, inclusive of doctors and elected representatives- Samir Meghe and Ashish Deshmukh among others, will also consider the setting up of of medical colleges, affiliated to these hospitals.

Mishra, Chairman, Medical Council of India's (MCI) academic sub-committee, informed the press about the 12 port trust hospitals, identified. These include hospitals at the ports in Mumbai, Tuticorin, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Kolkata, he added. Each with over 200 beds.

"The committee will look into the upgrade of the port trust hospitals, for augmentation of services and academic utilisation, thereto, including starting of medical colleges on a PPP basis," said Mishra.

The Employee State Insurance Corporation has also initiated medical colleges in its hospitals.

A Mishra headed 4 member committee has also submitted its report examining how government medical colleges could be initiated through the PPP mode in districts with no such institutions, by upgrading district hospitals to teaching colleges. This is to be done without heavy financial burden on the state exchequer .

The committee has recommended conversion of state district hospitals into medical colleges through PPP with the help of societies, trusts or not-for-profit companies.

The state will in return earn a quota of 25% seats in these medical colleges for admission at nominal fees and free treatment for an an equal number of patients in the affiliated hospital- under various government schemes.

To cross-subsidise these government medical college seats, the private party will be earmarked 15% of the annual intake of students, as NRI quota, towards which higher fees will be charged- as compensation.

The admission to remaining seats in the medical college, can take place through the NEET and the remaining (75%) patients in the hospital can be treated at subsidised, if not government rates.

Maharashtra enjoys a strength of 16 government medical colleges and 2300 MBBS seats out of a total of 6695 undergraduate seats in the state. 12 government medical colleges offer Postgraduate courses in this state, with 612 degree seats. This is in addition to 156 postgraduate diploma seats being offered in these institutions.

Medical seats for the academic year 2016-17

Postgraduate degree courses

Government: 612

BMC: 444

Central government institutions: 83

Total: 1139

(In addition, 261 diploma seats are also offered in these institutions)

MBBS intake capacity

State government: 16 colleges: 2300

Municipal corporations: Five colleges: 610

Central government: Two colleges: 240

Unaided/private: 15 colleges: 1770

Minority unaided: One college: 100

Deemed universities: 10 colleges: 1675

Total: 6695 seats