27 May 2010
By Prafulla Marpakwar
Mumbai, India
The Maharashtra government has drafted an ambitious plan for setting up a state–of–the–art central laboratory in JJ Hospital on PPP (public private partnership) basis. Following the move, a team from a leading pathological laboratory made a presentation before a committee headed by medical education minister Vijaykumar Gavit on Wednesday.
“We are proposing to outsource part of the tests conducted by the pathology, biochemistry and microbiology departments. So far no decision has been taken, but we are working out an action plan that will benefit the patients, especially the poor, and the government too,” a senior official told TOI.
Medical education director W B Tayde, J J hospital dean T P Lahane and microbiology professor Amita Joshi are part of the committee.
“When we were implementing a Rs 120–crore modernisation plan for the (JJ) hospital, we felt that if a modern central laboratory is set up there, it would go a long way in helping poor patients. Gavit then moved a proposal to set up a lab on PPP basis,” the official said.
If and when the lab is set up, tests of all patients below the poverty line (BPL) will be carried out free of cost. “The rest (APL patients) will have to make payments at rates prescribed by the government, which will be nominal,” a senior official said.
“The private laboratory, in turn, will get to use JJ Hospital’s premises for free. They shall get water and electricity at government rates and will be permitted to carry out private tests too,” he added.
According to JJ hospital records, while about 6 lakh patients were treated in the OPD and 40,000 admitted last year, 1.07 lakh samples from pathological, 4.8 lakh from biochemistry and 1.07 lakh from microbiology departments were tested in the corresponding period.
“We conduct a total of 150 types of tests, while private laboratories carry out well over 4,000 types. Under such circumstances, we were left with only two options–either to modernise our own laboratory or opt for the PPP model. We are working on the PPP model, which involves less investment,” another official said. If the experiment is successful, the government will not hesitate to introduce the same concept in all the 14 government–run medical colleges across the state, he added.
Boon for Poor
Free tests for BPL patients Rest to pay govt rates The lab will get to use JJ Hospital’s premises for free. They shall get water and power at government rates and will be permitted to carry out private tests too
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