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Private firm gets PMC work order to run centre at less than CGHS rates
PMC issues work order to private firm to run dialysis centre at Kamala Nehru Hospital for next 10 years
PUNE: In a huge relief for patients suffering from chronic renal disease, the dialysis centre at Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH) will reopen next month. The centre was shut for the past four months causing inconvenience to hundreds of patients, said the officials.
The health department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday issued a work order to ‘THS Wellness Private Limited’ which will run the hospital for the next 10 years. The dialysis centre at KNH was closed in November last year after the civic body terminated the contract awarded to a private player to run the facility. The contract was terminated as the private player could not run the facility at full capacity causing inconvenience to patients. Furthermore, there were several reports of laxities on the part of the said private player while running the centre.
Dr Sanjeev Wavare, assistant health officer, PMC, said that after the old contract was terminated, a tender was floated and seven private players approached the PMC showing willingness to run the facility. The tender was then awarded to THS Wellness Private Limited which quoted the lowest amount. THS will install 15 dialysis machines at the facility and will provide treatment at a cost lower than that of the central government health scheme, Dr Wavare said.
The dialysis centre at KNH is the first such centre started by the PMC seven years ago. Earlier, the centre would cater to the needs of 200 to 250 patients on an average monthly basis. After it was closed, patients visiting the centre faced hardship at seven other dialysis centres run by the PMC located farther away.
Dr Wavare informed that unlike the old contractor, THS will only be provided space to run the facility and expenses for the medical equipment, manpower and medicines and the running costs will be borne by the private player. “As the charges for dialysis at the KNH centre will increase, there will be no compromise on quality. The PMC has eight dialysis centres in the city with a total of 65 machines,” he said.
