In order to get away with the routine crisis that public hospitals have been facing all over, in terms of equipment, staff and funds, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) came up with the scheme of privatization. Preparation has been made to privatise several items including the food given to patients, MIR, X-ray, CT-scan, sonography etc. If sources are to be believed, tender process for the appointed of service provider has already started.
As per sources, in the first phase the investigation and needy services will be privatized, followed by the 30-year contract where the government hospitals will be handed over to private companies. It is to be noted that, a total of 19 government medical college fall under the umbrella of DMER in State.
Here, 25 rural hospitals are affiliated to these 25 hospitals. Apart from them, there are three government dental college and hospital. Noted that around 40-50 thousand patients daily visit these hospitals. Because of the acute shortage of facilities, it becomes difficult for the administration to cater the rising crowd of provide with necessary medical services.
It is worth mentioning here that few months back, DMER asked respective deans of medical colleges to report them several issues they have been facing regarding the food service, sanitation of hospital premises, laundry, Kidney Dialysis machine, X-ray machine, CT scan, MRI and sonography etc. This has been done, so that the tender for service providers could be released.
Currently, 10 hospitals comes under the banner of DMER which does not have CT scan service. At some hospital, there is no technician. It has been learnt that the service providers will be given a land at the hospital itself or within the parameter of 1km.
But even before its launch, this initiative by DMER has come under the scanner. The experts are claiming that privatization will lead to malpractices with the patients. Currently, the X-ray test costs around `90 at government hospital. After privatization, the cost would escalate to `150. Similarly, Sonography will increase to 120, plain CT scan to 350 and plain MRI to 2,000 per patient.
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