Even as it is persuading the central government to upgrade Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, to a medical college, the UT administration is now also mulling over handing over the facility to a private player for achieving this.
The alternative is based on a scheme proposed by the Niti Aayog - “Scheme to link new and/or existing private medical colleges with functional district hospitals through PPP”.
Under the scheme, the entire infrastructure of the hospital will be handed over to a private player and in exchange, the corporate will establish the medical college and operate the OPD services.
Of the total beds of the hospital, half will be marked as “market beds” and the rest as “regulated beds”. Market beds will have a market price tag, which will help subsidise the regulated beds.
Confirming the proposal, UT adviser Manoj Parida said, “We had earlier submitted a detailed project report with the ministry of health and family welfare for establishing an undergraduate medical college at GMSH-16. Now, we are also exploring a new scheme under which the hospital will be handed over to a private player for upgrading it to a medical college.”
UT officials are scheduled to attend a meeting with the central government officials and the Niti Aayog on the issue on Tuesday. “We will further examine the alternative after attending the meeting,” said Parida.
{{/usCountry}}UT officials are scheduled to attend a meeting with the central government officials and the Niti Aayog on the issue on Tuesday. “We will further examine the alternative after attending the meeting,” said Parida.
{{/usCountry}}Adding that it is still in concept stage, Parida said, “In any privatisation plan, existing service conditions of employees are protected.”
100 more MBBS seats for city
Under the plan submitted with the government, the medical college is proposed to offer 100 MBBS seats, associated with the 500-bed hospital. GMSH, spread over 12 acres, is already offering Diplomate of National Board programmes in five specialities.
In order to establish the medical college’s academic block, libraries and hostels, UT had earmarked 15 acres at Sarangpur village.
The city currently has only 150 MBBS seats at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, which also has 125 seats for postgraduate programmes.
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research offers only postgraduate programmes with around 310 seats.
The process for affiliation of the proposed medical college has also begun, and requisite documents have been submitted to Panjab University.
For departments, such as anatomy, which have not been established at GMSH, but are a basic requirement for the MBBS course, faculty members from GMCH, Sector 32, will be roped in until the new college starts functioning in a full-fledged manner.