Government mulling setting up medical colleges on PPP model: K Sudhakar

The state government is exploring the possibility of setting up medical colleges and hospitals in Karnataka on a PPP model, Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said Monday.

He was responding to a question in the Legislative Council.

Speaking on the health infrastructure, Sudhakar said that nine districts did not have medical colleges and hospitals and the government wanted to ensure them at the earliest. Hence, it was exploring constructing these institutions on a PPP model, he said.

Last year, the Medical Council of India had approved four new medical colleges in Karnataka. "They will commence admissions from the 2021-22 academic year," he said.

However, JD(S) MLC Marithibbe Gowda pointed out that the actual issue was not as much about setting up medical colleges, but ensuring adequate staff and infrastructure. "There isn't adequate staff in several medical colleges. This is not the way to run government medical institutions," Gowda charged.

To this, Sudhakar said there was a problem in appointing permanent staff. "In many places, there are no CEOs for these institutions. I have spoken to the officials concerned in DPAR seeking appointment of KAS officers for these posts," he said.

Further, when some of the MLCs pointed out that there weren't sufficient ambulances in several rural areas, the minister assured that very soon the government would ensure one ambulance each for every primary health centre.