Clinic eye district network

Association of Hospitals of Eastern India plans to offer tertiary health care facilities to non-urban population clusters and economically challenged people through public-private partnership.

Sajal Dutta, president of AHEI, said the association would make a proposal to the state government on this issue shortly.

"We are now discussing the modalities and looking at offering quality services in districts," Dutta said.

He was speaking at the sidelines of a seminar organised by Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management (IISWBM). At the seminar, state health minister Surya Kanta Mishra also stressed the need for partnerships.

"The government has key role to play given that large section of our population lives below poverty line. However, those who can afford to pay and expects more facilities, should get such services from private sector. In this way, pressure on government hospital would be lessen," Mishra noted.

AHEI has 11 private city hospitals as members. It offered diagnostic services at government hospital rates on referral basis. AHEI was testing close to 5,000 patients daily from government hospitals.

AHEI's model for PPP in tertiary care could include angioplasty and surgical procedures, perhaps using a telemedicine backbone.