GE Healthcare, the provider of transformational medical technologies and services for the healthcare industry, and Health and Family Welfare Dept, Government of Gujarat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a public private partnesrship (PPP) model to establish advanced medical technology in all the teaching hospitals/medical colleges of Gujarat.

The MoU, first of its kind PPP model bilateral agreement between Govt of Gujarat and GE Healthcare, is to help upgradation of medical technology and setting up of diagnostic imaging centres in all the five government medical colleges in the state, according to an announcement by the company. Modern equipments and diagnostic centres will be set up in the medical colleges situated at Ahmedabad, Baroda, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. The company expects to commercialise the facilities within five to seven months.

As per the agreement, the government and the company will work together to provide advanced healthcare technology to the people at affordable cost, by reducing the treatment cost by 30 to 50 per cent as compared to private clinic. The project, in which the GE Healthcare and its associates will have an investment of Rs 35 crore, will also work to set up a first of its kind Central Tele-radiology Center.

"This partnership will further enhance our leadership position and help us provide best diagnosis through most modern technology to the people of Gujarat while reducing the costs. We hope this will become a role model for other state governments who are working to improve healthcare in their State," said Jay Narayan Vyas, minister of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Gujarat.

Speaking on the agreement, V Raja, president & CEO, GE Healthcare, India, said, "This partnership envisages our vision to make advanced healthcare technology affordable and accessible to needy patients across the country. Our ambition is to take this model forward in the state as well as across the country, creating a wave of transformation in the Indian healthcare industry"

Under the project, GE Healthcare will set up advanced diagnostic imaging facilities like BrightSpeed Computed Tomography and High Definition Magnetic Resonance systems in each centre. The company will also facilitate operation of these centres by engaging professional radiologists, technicians and staff along with initiating training programmes for staff and students, after sales service and so on to ensure high uptime of the medical equipments. The state government will provide space for installation of these high-end imaging systems in the medical colleges.

GE Healthcare will set up a specialized, centralized tele-radiology centre in Ahmedabad linking rest of the hospitals. The tele-radiology centre will facilitate professional image interpretation services and second opinion to the hospitals and patients.

The Rs 35 crore investment will be on establishing equipments and facilitating trained professionals including doctors, nurses and technicians to the medical college hospitals for diagnostic imaging services using CT and MRI. The diagnostic centre set up under this project will also help assist medical students at the colleges to undertake their thesis research.

Early this year, the company has rolled out its first PPP project in collaboration with the Govt of Madhya Pradesh to set up a diagnostic imaging facility at Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Medical College Hospital in Jabalpur. The partnership model involved Government of MP, GE Healthcare and Sanya Diagnostics to provide healthcare access to needy patients. Over 6000 patients have benefited from this Centre over last six months.