State to privatise 300-bedded govt hospitals, being criticised for the same

On one hand, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to bring in generic medicines while the BJP government is planning to convert state-level hospital of 300 beds into private ones.

The state government has formed a three-member committee who will run a 300-bedded hospital on pubic-private-partnership. The committee has to submit the report of the same in the next three months. A committee has been constituted for the privatisation of the hospitals under the chairmanship of the Commissioner (Health Services) and the Director of Campaign, National Health Mission, which includes the Director of Health Services and Director of Medical Education and Research Directorate. The final decision will be taken after the committee's report.

A large number of poor patients visit government-district hospitals for treatment where 300 bedded hospitals are in large numbers. If these hospitals are privatised, then the cost of treatment will increase which will not be affordable for poor people.

Therefore, co-convenor of Jan Arogya Abhiyan is strongly opposing this decision of the government. He is of the view that it is the responsibility of the government to make health services available at affordable rates.

The state government has taken this decision on Gujarat model to benefit private companies. We will not let this government succeed in any situation. Soon we will speak to the Prime Minister about the same,” Yajurvedi Rao, President, Society for Awareness of Civil Right.