Gujarat govt announces health policy

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Government today announced Health Policy-2016 which seeks to promote private investment to set up medical colleges, which, in some cases, would be attached to existing government hospitals.

Unveiling the policy at Gandhinagar, Health Minister Shanker Chaudhary termed it a “pro-poor” step. Under the policy, intake in MBBS courses would go up to 5,000, he said.

“Our main objective is to make available advanced healthcare services to those who are living in remote villages and do not have access to such services….government will encourage setting up of self-financed colleges. It will take MBBS intake to 5,000 from current 3,400,” he said.

The government will promote setting up of self-financed colleges in Tapi, Dahod, Panchmahal, Banaskantha, Bharuch and Amreli districts.

As a medical college must have a hospital with at least 300 beds, these colleges will be attached to existing government hospitals. If number of beds is less, government will either provide subsidy for increasing the bed capacity or the government itself would build additional infrastructure.

For each MBBS seat in such `brownfield’ college, Rs 7.5 lakh annual subsidy would be given for five years.

For the greenfield colleges (without existing hospital attached to it), government would provide land at half the market price. For each MBBS seat in these new colleges, Rs 15 lakh annual subsidy would be given for five years.

To encourage private players to set up super-speciality hospitals in villages/ small towns, government will give 4 pc subsidy on the loans taken for equipment and construction.

These hospitals will provide affordable or in some cases free treatment to the poor under Mukhyamantri Amrutam Yojna.