Won't compromise patients' interest while privatising district hospitals: Health Minister

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said the government will not compromise the interest of patients while handing over district government hospitals to private medical colleges through public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The government has been doing such experiments in the last 25 years and even Niti Ayog come out with draft guidelines on PPP, he said during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.

"We will offer district hospitals to the private sector without compromising the interest of patients." A private sector can have medical colleges but cannot have hospitals with patients. The government has many district hospitals with patients. The private sector has money to run the hospitals, he said.

The Minister said that the hospital to be transferred would be of minimum 300 beds with necessary infrastructural facilities capable of being developed into teaching institution for the proposed medical college.