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Ludhiana: Doctors have strongly opposed the Punjab government's decision to open new medical colleges under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. They warned that this move could lead to the privatisation of healthcare in the state and make medical services and education unaffordable for the poor.In a statement issued recently, the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) president, Dr Arun Mitra and central committee member Dr Inderveer Gill have demanded that the government halt the move. They said that the proposed medical colleges in Sangrur and Nawanshahr were being established under the PPP framework through the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) and that tenders for the same had been floated.The doctors’ body questioned whether the fee structure in these PPP medical colleges would be the same as in existing government colleges and whether there would be any scholarships or fee concessions for students from low-income families. They also asked whether healthcare services at these colleges would continue to be free for all citizens.Also read- Karnataka's plan to set up new GMCs under PPP model draws flak As per the TOI news report, the organisation pointed out that evaluation teams under the operation and management (OM) model of the PIDB had been visiting government hospitals in Rajpura, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Munak, and Moga and questioned whether it marked the beginning of a wider privatization process.Highlighting the economic strain on the public, the organization said, "The cost of healthcare and medical education rose sharply across India, and particularly in Punjab, since the COVID-19 pandemic. Poor and working-class families neither have the financial means to afford medical treatment nor to educate their children in the field of medicine. It appears that the Punjab govt is following the same path as the Centre, which has been pushing to hand over the health sector to corporate entities"Further, IDPD said, "Countries where healthcare is delivered primarily through public systems tend to have far better health indicators than those relying on private or insurance-based models. We urged the Punjab government to strengthen the public health system, increase the state health budget, and ensure that healthcare remains accessible and affordable for all."Medical Dialogues had reported that the Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC), Dr Abhijat Sheth, termed the PPP model "the way forward" to reshape India's medical education landscape. NMC Chairman's endorsement of the PPP model was made at a time when states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat were rapidly adopting these partnerships.Also read- PPP model is the way forward to reshape medical education in India: NMC Chairman
