Chandigarh Health Department looks at PPP way to improve diagnostic services
Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, February 28
The UT Health Department is considering bringing private companies on board to set up diagnostic services at government hospitals under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
The move is aimed at reducing the waiting time for patients requiring medical tests such as ultrasound, CT scan and MRI.
By bringing in private companies, the government hospitals will be able to increase the number of these hi-tech machines and consequently, reduce the waiting time for such tests. The private firms are expected to bring their own diagnostic machines, equipment and manpower to run the centres, offering round-the-clock services.
At the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16 (GMSH-16), the MRI scan facility had been non-operational for two years. After a private firm got the contract and set up the facility at no rental cost to the government, the waiting time for the test was reduced to zero. Now, patients can just walk in to avail themselves of the facility. The cost of MRI scan at the GMSH-16 is more than 50-60 per cent less than the cost charged at private centres.
Both the CT scans and the MRI scan facilities are being run under the PPP mode at the GMSH-16. There are three ultrasound machines at the GMSH-16 and one each at the local civil hospitals. However, there is a long list of patients waiting for the test at these hospitals.
The success of the PPP model for MRI scans has encouraged the Health Department to replicate it for other tests, such as CT scans, ultrasound, PET scans, echocardiogram (echo), etc, at other health facilities, including the GMSH-16, the Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 (GMCH-32); and the civil hospitals at Sector 22 and 45, and Mani Majra.
Recently, the Centre lauded the department for its efforts to set up an affordable MRI scan facility at the GMSH-16 through the PPP mode.
At present, the waiting time for MRI scans at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is from two to three months for OPD or walk-in patients and two months at the GMCH-32.
For ultrasound tests, the waiting time is around three months at the PGIMER, one month at the GMSH-16 and allied civil hospitals, and around two months at the GMCH-32. However, emergency and indoor patients are given preference at every hospital.
Yashpal Garg, UT Health Secretary, said, “A long waiting period for medical tests can cause significant problems for patients, leading to missed diagnoses, delayed treatment and increased stress and financial burden. By reducing waiting time through public-private partnerships, the government can improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services and ensure that patients receive timely and effective medical care.”
