‘Make Gujarat capital of medical services’

With an aim to discuss on how to augment productive partnerships in the healthcare sector and also offer a common platform for the healthcare providers and doctors, the state government and Confederation of India Industry, western region organised a one-day conference on Public Private Partnership Policy Framework "Developing Healthcare PPP - Making it Work!" in the city on Saturday.

Dr Vivek Desai, chairman, CII WR Healthcare Sub-Committee opened the first session of the meet which was attended by state health minister Jaynarayan Vyas, Anju Sharma Commissioner of Health, Dr Uma Nambiar, CEO of S L Raheja (A Fortis Associate) Hospital and Dr Praful Pawar, CEO Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad.
Concluding the opening session of the conference, Vyas lamented that healthcare PPPs have not taken off at the pace at which PPPs in other sectors like roads and airports have.

"Gujarat is known for maximum donations, be it blood, eye or organ donation. It also conducts the highest number of kidney transplants, piles operations and knee-replacements in the country. Only if we can ably combine the expertise and experience of private healthcare service providers and wide network of government hospitals, the state would be soon recognised as 'capital of medical services in the country'. With the growth in PPP in healthcare, the target of making state a global medical tourism destination can be achieved," Vyas said.

The meet sought to address issues that can support long-term, sustainable partnerships between the public and private healthcare facility providers. As partnerships in this sector is more associated with controversy and roadblocks than with a constructive, collaborative approach in the state, the conference was held to focus on problem areas and the possible solutions to facilitate PPPs growth as vibrantly as PPPs have achieved in sectors like roadways and urban development than on health.

IIM' Centre for Management of Health Services, Prof, Dr. K V Ramani, stressed on designing a business framework under which the PPPs agreements are done via legal contracts and not MOUs.