These firms will be responsible for developing infrastructure, procuring machines, hiring staff, and supervising operations within government hospital premises. While they will provide free treatment to patients, the government will be billed for the services rendered. Additionally, around a dozen cardiac cath labs being set up by the state are likely to be operated by private agencies.
Dheeraj Kumar, commissioner of state health services, highlighted the significance of this move, stating that residents in remote areas will now have access to life-saving diagnostics and treatments previously unavailable in the public system.
“Patients in remote areas such as Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Bhandara and Chandrapur will finally have access to life-saving diagnostics and treatments previously unavailable in the public system. Some of the plans have been in the making for years but have just materialised,” Dheeraj Kumar, commissioner of state health services told TOI. “Beyond a point, outsourcing was the only feasible choice as finding manpower and running services efficiently in semi-urban areas can be challenging for govt,” ToI quoted Kumar as saying.
The state has entered into 10-year agreements with these companies, allowing sufficient time for cost recovery considering the substantial investment required for facility establishment. Private players will bill the government at subsidized Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) rates for MRI and CT scan services. Unique Wellness and Krshnaa Diagnostics will operate MRI centers in Thane, Pune, and the rest of the state respectively. Similarly, they will manage both existing and new CT scan facilities across Maharashtra.The anticipated capacity of each MRI facility is to serve up to 15 patients daily, while CT scan facilities may accommodate over 20 patients per day. The government plans to evaluate the performance of these centers during the initial year before drawing conclusive cost estimates. Kumar mentioned that while these centers will be allowed to cater to private patients, it will be only after designated hours.However, public health experts have voiced concerns. Abhay Shukla from Jan Swasthya Abhiyan expressed reservations about the decision to outsource, highlighting past subpar outcomes of public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives in Mumbai and Pune. He suggested evaluating whether strengthening government infrastructure would be a more cost-effective approach. Ravi Duggal, a public health researcher, echoed similar sentiments, indicating that such partnerships could pave the way for covert privatisation.
