PPP is a win-win for all: Mangaluru's KMC

MANGALURU: Kasturba Medical College has maintained that the public private partnership vis-à-vis the college and the government hospitals in the city — namely district Wenlock Hospital and Lady Goschen Hospital has been a win-win situation for all. Terming it as a good example of success of public-private partnership which has seen its Diamond Jubilee, the hospital said these two hospitals have permitted KMC to train their students.
Reacting to a report in these columns that health minister Khader has done a volte-face on the medical college, Dr M Venkatraya Prabhu, dean, KMC told TOI that in return, KMC has been taking care of many of the aspects of healthcare delivery.
This partnership has helped government hospitals to be in the forefront of providing quality patient care which meets needs of the community. Khader had appreciated the same and opined this present arrangement should be given sufficient time.
Dr Prabhu said KMC has been providing services of 109 consultants; bearing the entire cost of laboratory tests; additional nurses, technicians, clerical staff (in all 303 staff); taking over the responsibility of house-keeping and security; networking of various departments and taking care of computerization of hospitals; servicing/maintenance of the medical equipment; computerization of medical records department; and creating separate clinical lab in Wenlock Hospital.
For providing these, KMC is spending about Rs 19 crore per year. KMC also pays the government around Rs 5 crore every year as clinical training fee for utilizing the hospitals for student training. Manipal University also provides 78 seats to the government for allocation through CET which is only seven seats less than what the government will get if a 100 seater college were to be started by it, Dr Prabhu said.
Of 100 seats, the state will have to surrender 15 seats to the Central government pool, leaving it with 85 seats. For these extra seven seats, government will have to spend Rs 400 crore as mentioned by Khader to start a government medical college here. Fee for these students is at the government rate, he said adding this partnership which has stood test of time and has benefited both parties should continue and move to start a government medical college deferred.