State to outsource medical tests to pvt firms

Now, patients will no longer have to wait endlessly for tests like MRI, CT scans and pathology tests as the state medical education department will soon be outsourcing them to private firms, who will set up these labs within the premises of government hospitals.

With this, the state department hopes to improve facilities in the hospitals and ensure that the tests are not delayed. They will also save Rs128 crore which would have otherwise been spent on upgrading and buying new testing equipment.

Even though they wanted to privatise most services in government hospitals, their plan ran into roadblocks with various departments and opposition from hospital staff.

The state will enter into partnerships with private firms, and while BPL patients will be provided these tests free of cost, others will have to pay the sum decided by the parties. Medical education minister Vijay Kumar Gavit said “We will not be paying the private parties. They will get free space, water and electricity within the hospital premises. They will be allowed to recover their investment by offering their services to patients outside the hospital too. We will ensure some control over the services offered by these firms and also on the charges of services.”

Gavit has met with the state finance minister, who has agreed with the proposal. “We should be out with a plan within the next fifteen days,” he said.

Cleaning services will also be outsourced and along with a mobile van with testing equipment to ensure that it will be sent to the hospital whenever there is breakdown of equipment.