Ahmedabad: state govt sanctions funds for district level diagnosis facilities

Health commissioner JP Gupta is implied to have said that the discussion for the policy is in the final stages, and an official announcement will be made soon. The main focus of the Gujarat medical policy will be to improve healthcare services in the rural areas.

A health officer further added that a subsidy of 25% will be offered on equipment cost.

As reported by TOI, officials in the health department said that emphasis will be laid under the Gujarat Medical Policy to give both basic and quality medical facilities to the rural people. "Under the new medical policy , the state government will promote MRI and CT scan centres at all the district headquarters on publicprivate partnership model. The government has also decided to give incentives like 25% subsidy in equipment costs and even waivers in stamp duty wherever the person or the firm is required to set up an infrastructure," said a senior officer of the health department.

At present MRI and CT scan facilities are concentrated only in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat. The government wants such facilities to be set up at other district headquarters like Palanpur, Bhavnagar, Mehsana among others. The officer said that the government will also promote setting up of medical colleges in rural areas. For setting up a college, the government will give subsidies on interest, provide land at subsidized costs, and will also exempt the management from paying stamp duty for land registration. The management will also be exempt from paying electricity duty for nearly five years.