NITI Aayog: Link private medical colleges with district hospitals

On January 1, 2020, the Government Think Tank released its Draft “Model Concession Agreement for Setting Up Medical Colleges under Public Private Partnership” guideline document. Under the guideline the think tank has suggested Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to link private medical colleges and district hospitals.

Highlights

The suggestion will address the issues of limited resources and finances in medical education. The model is already operative in the states of Gujarat and Karnataka. This will also help in increasing medical seats. Also, this will help to bridge the gap of shortage of doctors in the country. According to WHO, there is only one government doctor for every 10,189 people in the country. Also, there is shortage of 2 million nurses in India. Therefore, the move is very much required.

Concessionaire

The think tank has suggested appointment of concessionaire to design, operate, build and maintain the medical colleges. The concessionaire shall also be allowed to charge of Rs 10 as registration fees. The concessionaire shall absorb minimum of 150 students annually.

The concessionaire is the holder of concession, grant to complete the assigned task completely.

Significance

The PPP model ensures high quality and timely provision of services. They also help in hastening Government projects. Overall, PPP models provide better public services.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2020