By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 23: Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma on Friday said he will oppose the operation and management of upcoming Tura Medical College and Hospital (TMCH) on a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
He made the statement as the state government recently floated expressions of Interests for interested and eligible Indian private sector partners for the operation and management of TMCH on a PPP mode. The facility will have an annual intake of 150 MBBS students.
Asking the government to stop its “adventurism” of privatising the health and the education sectors, Sangma said medical colleges are also tertiary referral centres and it is important for the state to have a government medical college as a tertiary referral centre.
Pointing out that cost of healthcare has become unaffordable for many families, he said a government medical college will ensure access for everyone to a quality healthcare facility. “The state has a binding responsibility to ensure people get quality healthcare at a government facility since many families have fallen in debt trap because of high cost of medical treatment,” Sangma said.
Predicting that the move to run TMCH on a PPP mode will be disastrous for the future of the state, he asked the government to put a brake on its privatisation spree.
“You will start it on a PPP mode and subsequently, it will be converted into a full-fledged private hospital. How can you be so sure that this malafide intention will not be born in the mind of policymakers in the years to come?” he said.
He stressed that the government must be pressured to scrap the decision and run the facility as a government medical college.
