Odisha govt to set up hospitals on PPP mode in backward areas

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has initiated steps for establishment of hospitals on PPP mode under health sector investment policy, said an official on Monday.

These hospitals would be set up on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. It was proposed to establish 19 hospitals in 18 districts on the parameters of backwardness in health indicators, the official said.

A proposal to this effect was discussed in the Empowered Committee on Infrastructure meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here on Monday.

Considering the proposal, Padhi directed to decide locations of the hospitals taking into account the existing health service facilities and newly coming up medical colleges.

Development Commissioner R. Balakrishan advised to prioritize the difficult areas having no secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.

Health secretary PK Meherda said that it was decided to set up new quality care hospitals mostly in KBK and KBK+ districts.

These hospitals would be of two different categories. One type would be 100 bedded and another type would be 200 bedded. The total bed capacity in three different phases would be around 2600.

The government would provide land at a concessional rate with other infrastructural facilities. The government would also decide the tariff of treatment in these hospitals.

The private parties would make necessary investments for setting up the hospitals and they would bring in more specialists and clinical personnel, said Meherda.

As of now, an investor conference has already been held in Bhubaneswar to get inputs from potential investors regarding the feasibility of the project and methods of its operation.

Around 71 healthcare providing organizations from state, national and international level participated in the conference and expressed their interest to invest in the project.

Available data show the project would create direct employment opportunity for 9500 persons.  The total private sector investment would be around Rs.1150 crore.

The issues relating to norms of the transaction, conditions in the bid document, viable gap funding from Government, contract conditions, monitoring and management of the proposed project etc were discussed in the meeting.

Padhi directed the health & family welfare department to prepare the detailed project with inputs of today’s meeting and place it for Government approval.