Uttarakhand plans diagnostic centres under PPP mode

The Uttarakhand government has chalked out plans to set up diagnostic centres in the hill state under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, the aim being to provide specialised medical care in remote areas.

A diagnostic centre comprises high-tech medical equipment like MRI and cardiac machines with the total cost running into several crores of rupees.

In the first phase, the government has decided to set up one diagnostic centre each in Pithoragarh and Pauri districts.

Under the plan, the government would bear the entire cost of Rs 5.6 crore for the MRI machine. The revenue from the first half (8 am to 2 pm) of the day would go to the government while in the second, the PPP partner would receive 75 per cent of the revenue collected.

BPL families would be provided with medical services free of cost in these proposed centres.

While tenders for the Pithoragarh diagnostic centre were being floated afresh, the government has already selected New Delhi-based Sanya Diagnostic Centre for the centre at Kotwar.

However, the diagnostic centre at Kotdwar has failed to make headway due to narrow entrance passage at the base hospital where the land was allotted to the company.

“The company needs some big space for entrance at Kotdwar base hospital. So far, there has been no progress as even the health minister, S S Negi, who is a local MLA, is not showing much interest,” said a government official.

BS