Getting favourable response from leading healthcare companies for the upcoming Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences at Jalandhar, Punjab government intends to open the doors further for private investment in healthcare by allowing private sector to set up super specialty centers at existing civil hospitals. Plans are there to invite healthcare companies to set up oncology and heart super specialty centers under PPP mode on available land at Mohali and Bathinda Civil hospitals.
A new format is likely to be shaped for the upcoming projects to ensure that private participation in the projects boosts government’s coffers to enable it to provide affordable healthcare facilities to the masses, sources told FE.
In a recently-held parley under chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, it was deliberated that the vacant land at civil hospitals could be leased out on fixed annual sum. It was preferred over enforcing companies to provide low cost healthcare facilities to poor patients. In the meeting it was contended that the enforcing private companies who are to provide affordable healthcare facilities to poor patients under PPP mode could prove to be a hard task and might not give desired results, top sources in the government said.
Meanwhile, the chief minister, who is keen to allow greater private sector role in creating quality healthcare facilities in the state, has given his nod for the projects for which letters of interest are likely to be invited by Punjab Infrastructure and Development Board shortly, sources said.
“The two upcoming projects at Mohali and Bathinda hold high potential for private participation as the centers would boost health tourism from neighboring states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh,” said Laxmi Kanta Chawla, health and family welfare minister. The minister also said that the state is endeavoring to lure private companies to provide healthcare facilities in remote districts.
Meanwhile, 12 leading healthcare companies including Fortis, MM Institute and Apollo Group have participated in pre-qualification bid for the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar.