On way: IIT-like centre for health
West Bengal is set to host one of the country’s five Institutes of Public Health Administration to be set up by the Centre in collaboration with the private sector.
Ranjit Pandit, who heads global consultant McKinsey in India, discussed the project with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
The institute will be managed by a society formed by the Government of India in collaboration with private partners.
The society will pump Rs 100 crore into each of the five centres that will be autonomous and based on the IIT model, officials in the chief minister’s secretariat said. McKinsey is a consultant to the project.
Besides, the government intends to facilitate setting up of a health city near Calcutta.
Around 40,000 health and paramedic staff members would be required for the hospitals that are set to come up in the next five years.
Hospitals in Bengal now suffer from an acute shortage of quality nurses and health workers.
Over 1.10 lakh people are now engaged in health services in the government sector in Bengal and another 1 lakh in the private sector.
Studies conducted so far have pointed out that though health infrastructure in the government sector in Bengal is better than in many other states, employees’ poor managerial and administrative skills prove a letdown.
(The Telegraph)
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