SHILLONG: The state Health department on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two private firms to set up and run a diagnostic centre in the city.
The memorandum was signed by the Secretary of the department, Pravin Bakshi, and representatives of Suraksha Kolkata and Salvia Global LLP.
Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek said that the project once completed will transform the tears of the people into smiles as the beneficiaries of MHIS would be able to conduct necessary investigation free of cost.
Bakshi said that the Ministry of DoNER is funding the project under the NE Social Infrastructure Development Scheme, adding it has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the health sector.
The project will be developed on a PPP mode and the government would not compromise even one bit on service, he said.
Bakshi informed that EOI was floated for the project and Kolkata-based Suraksha was selected from among three bidders. He said a team of the Health department had even inspected the diagnostic centre of the Suraksha group in Kolkata.
As per the MoU, the land and the building will be given to the company for a period of 10 years. The package rates have been worked out and most of the investigations will be covered under it.
The firms will take around six months to complete the project and the government intends to dedicate it to the people of the state as a Christmas gift, Bakshi said.
The centre will have CT Scan, X-Ray, MRI and various blood testing facilities, he said adding the firms want to ensure that not even one blood sample is sent outside the state for tests.
