Maha: Health activists protest against expansion of Aundh District Hospital on PPP mode

Pune: Health activists and organizations in the public healthcare system have criticized the government's plan to expand facilities at Aundh District Hospital (ADH), Sangvi, based on the Public Private Partnership (PPP). The Health activists alleged that the idea of PPP is an unethical way of taking over 85 acres of hospital land worth crores of rupees. 

The controversy sparked after the Maharashtra Health Minister, Tanaji Sawant, on Friday, during an event in Pune, officially announced the expansion of health facilities at ADH through PPP. Previously, the deputy director of health services assured that there are no plans of considering privatization. However, now, Sawant has publicly acknowledged that they would consider a PPP model. Minister claimed that the decision of expanding the ADH was taken to decrease the pressure on Sassoon General Hospital, reports Hindustan Times.

Health Minister Sawant said, “To reduce the burden of patients at Sassoon General Hospital, healthcare facilities at ADH will be expanded through PPP model. The hospital will now have 1,500 beds, a 300-bed mental hospital, and cancer hospital, and a nursing college. A lodging facility for patients’ guests at the hospital will also be developed. In return, private developers will get the remaining land for private projects.” 

The project will be done following the rules and approvals from the central government and all services to patients will be free of cost. The development cost is ₹20,000 crore and the private firm will be given a profit of 20%,” added Sawant.

Health activist Sharad Shetty pointed out that the priority of any private firm is its profit and none will be eager to invest it unless they get profit from it. " The profit will be for the private company and the loss for the public. The diagnostic facility at the ADH, which was given on PPP is an example of how the patients are deprived of free treatment after the involvement of a private firm," he added. 

Activists and representatives from public healthcare organizations met on Sunday, and they decided to approach the chief minister about stopping the expansion process. In order to bring up the subject during the assembly session, it was also determined to seek the aid of opposition party leaders. ADH was built on property that the state government received from the Defence Ministry 75 years ago, according to health campaigner Deepak Jadhav of the Patient Rights Campaign. The public would lose access to free healthcare if the facilities were transferred to a private facility.

Deepak Jadhav of Patient Rights Campaign informed Hindustan Times, "The government can increase the facilities on their own, but involvement of private companies is wrong. The aim is just to siphon the huge land that belongs to the public. If the decision is not scrapped we will hold an indefinite protest.