Government to tap help of private sector

With an aim to get medical education on track, the government is all set to join hands with the private sector. In a first of its kind initiative, the Union health ministry on Wednesday held a meeting with all the big names in private sector, including top heads of Max hospital, Indraprastha Apollo, Fortis, Medanta Medicity asking for their suggestions that is nedded to fill in the gap in medical education.

Stating that the investment by government will not be sufficient for future in medical education, officials said that the meeting was called so as to have the “organised” private sector involved in medical education too other than the healthcare services that they provide. “The logic of meeting them was two-fold. One was to educate them about what the government is doing as far as medical education is concerned and also to get the organised private sector in medical education. All these big brands though provide healthcare services but do not run medical colleges. Our view is that since they are already contributing, they should also participate in medical education and make it better,” a senior official said.

The government in their first meeting which also had officials from National Board of Examination, the president of the Medical Council of India, representatives from Ficci and associations of accrediated hospitals has constituted a four member group that will make concrete suggestions on a roadmap for future in medical education within one month.

The giant leaders, when they meet next, will come up with their suggestions on how to set up medical colleges less costly, how to expand post-graduation education and what should be the tax laws.