State plans 1,500 new primary health centres, small hospitals: Chavan

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday said the state government has prepared a master plan of setting up 1,500 new primary health centres, sub-centres and small hospitals so that affordable medical service is available in every corner of the state.

He was speaking after inaugurating the new premier hospital opened by Ruby Hall Clinic at Wanawadi. Minister for forests and rehabilitation Patangrao Kadam, local corporators Prashant Jagtap and Nanda Lonkar, industrialist Sanjeev Bajaj, managing trustee Dr Parvez Grant, trustee Dr RB Gulati and chief executive officer Bomi Bhote were present on the dais.

The chief minister said the government has collected data of hospitals in the state and prepared a master plan to provide medical service to all parts of the state.

Under this plan, 1,500 primary health centres, sub-centres and hospitals would be started.

The state government would soon start eight new medical colleges and is aiming at having at least one government medical college in every district, he added.

Chavan said, “The private sector would have to chip in. We intend to provide space for private companies in government hospitals so that state-of-the-art equipment and facilities are available for the common man at a cheaper rate.

“This scheme would be run under public private partnership and the rate list would be determined by the state government so that the common man would be benefited.”

Photon therapy for cancer patients soon
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the prime minister has assured support for photon therapy for cancer at Tata Cancer Hospital in Mumbai with the help of department of atomic energy. Chavan said the state government has decided to provide five acres of land to Tata Cancer Hospital for the Rs500 crore project so that state-of-the-art therapy is available for patients.