NMC to hand over hospitals to pvt players

NAGPUR: Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is all set to privatize many of its services. Now, the civic body has proposed to hand over its hospitals to private operators.
NMC had already handed over many of its services to private players including water works, sanitation, solid waste management, citizen facility centers etc. To add to this, NMC has now proposed to run its 59 hospitals and diagnostic centers through private players.
Currently, NMC runs three indoor patient hospitals including Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya at LAD square, Panchpaoli Maternity Hospital in Panchpaoli and Isolation Hospital in Immamwada. Besides, the civic body runs three big diagnostic centers at Mahal, Sadar and also at Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya. Apart from these, NMC has 57 out patient dispensaries (OPDs), including 23 health posts sanctioned under Union Government's schemes, 15 allopathy hospitals, 12 ayurvedic hospitals, three homeopathy hospitals, three naturopathy hospitals and one unani hospital.
The diagnostic centres and OPDs located in prime city areas provide services to patients between 8 am and 2 pm. NMC's hospital committee, headed by Baba Maind, had passed a proposal to run all diagnostic centres and OPDs by private NGOs, institutions or doctors from 2 pm to 10 pm, that too for five to ten years. All expenses including electricity, water, equipments, machineries etc will be met by NMC.
Baba Maind said, NMC hospitals cater to poor population. The private players will examine and treat patients by charging meagre fees at par to that charged by NMC at present. As per the proposal, the private hospital operators will have to render services to the poor between 8 a.m and 10 pm. This would be of great help for the poor patients, he added.
However, corporators from the opposition party and some social activists allege that NMC move was being initiated to benefit some doctors and help them use huge hospital premises in prime locations for their own interests. "Why did NMC not appoint doctors in second shift and run hospitals up to 10 pm," questioned the opposition party corporators.
Panchpaoli maternity hospital too in pvt hands
NMC has already invited tenders and shortlisted a private company to hand over Panchpaoli maternity hospital. Besides, NMC had also invited tenders and shortlisted to run CT scan and x-ray machines at Sadar Diagnostic Centre by a private company. These two proposals are before standing committee for consideration.
Other proposals before special meeting
* Approval of minutes of 37 special meetings of general body held between February 10, 2009 and December 27, 2010
* Three minor modifications in town planning rules
* Repair works at NMC run schools
* Scholarships to NMC school students apart from that given by state government
* Formation of committee to interview 8 applicants shortlisted for the post of assistant commissioner