Soon, Private Medical Colleges to come up at District Hospitals, Niti Ayog releases model document

New Delhi: Proposing to combine the strengths of existing district hospitals to the capacities of the private sector to set up medical colleges, the Niti Ayog has come out with the public-private partnership (PPP) model to link new or existing private medical colleges with functional district hospitals to add more MBBS, and PG Medical seats.

For the same, the government think-tank has released a draft 'Model Concession Agreement for Setting Up Medical Colleges Under the Public-Private Partnership' guideline document in the public domain and invited comments on the same.

The draft Concession Agreement is uploaded on the NITI Aayog website (https://www.niti.gov.in/documents/model-agreements). Stakeholders are requested to provide thier written comments, if any, by or before 10th January, 2020. The comments are to be sent in the enclosed format, in electronic/editable form, addressed to Dr. Vijayashree Yellappa, Consultant (PPP/PAMD), on the email: vijayashree.y@gov.in.

In this regard, there will be a stakeholder’s meet at NITI Aayog, New Delhi on 21st January, 2020 at 11:00am. All those who are interested in attending the meet are requested to send a line of confirmation latest by 15th January 2020 on the mentioned email

"India has a dire shortage of qualified doctors. It is practically not possible for the Central/state government to bridge the gaps in medical education with their limited resources and finances. "This necessitates formulating a public-private partnership (PPP) model by combining the strengths of the public and private sectors. Accordingly, a scheme to link new and/or existing private medical colleges with functional district hospitals through PPP would augment medical seats and also rationalize the costs of medical education," the document said.

The draft describes the various clauses and aspects of the PPP agreement of setting up private medical colleges at district hospitals. Under this envisioned model, a concessionaire shall design, build, finance, operate and maintain the medical college and also upgrade, operate and maintain the associated district hospital with a minimum annual student intake of 150 MBBS seats. The draft document envisages the agreement period to be of 60 (sixty) years from the Appointed Date

The draft agreement also describes other aspects including the scope of the PPP, the various obligations of the Concessionaire, handling of medico-legal cases, safety requirements, monitoring of operation and maintenance, provision of services to "FREE PATIENTS" and those who are other than "free patients" and much more

"In consideration of making available the healthcare services, to the category of patients other than free patients, the concessionaire shall have the right to collect, appropriate and demand hospital charges...the concessionaire shall display the rates for the healthcare services, including the daily rate, for the bed occupancy in the district hospital at a place where it is visible to all," according to the guideline document.

It further said the concessionaire shall be allowed to charge Rs 10 as registration fees from the free patients. "The concessionaire shall provide all healthcare services to the free patient, free of cost," the guideline document said.

Attached is the document below