The State department of health and family welfare has planned a scheme involving private medical colleges and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for management of primary health centres (PHCs) in the state. The scheme, the first-of-its-kind in the country, is likely to become a model for the country and sources from the State government said that the Centre was studying the Karnataka model.
The scheme also includes management of PHCs by trusts and charitable institutions. It also provides for NGOs, trusts or other institutions either to fully manage the PHCs or contribute to the improvement of the facilities there without directly managing them. Trusts sponsored by reputed corporate bodies are also eligible to manage PHCs.
As per the scheme, any private dental college is also treated on par with a private medical college.
However, the eligibility criterion for management of PHCs is strict. Any NGOs desirous of participating in the scheme should be involved in activities in rural areas with legal status of a society registered for three years under the Societies Registration Act or any corresponding State Act, or as a Trust registered under the Trust Act.
An important criterion is that the NGO or the trust should take up the PHC management in rural areas, besides being an active body with sound financial status. Also the NGO should have a dedicated management body with members of repute.
Evaluation and selection of NGOs will be done by a committee headed by the Commissioner, health and family welfare services with the director, health and family welfare and the chief executive officer of the Zilla Panchyat concerned as members.
According to sources, this first attempt to partly privatise non-clinical service in government hospitals. Norms had been drawn up for effective management of PHCs and sub-centres by private agencies.
The private medical college or any agency selected for the purpose should also take full responsibility for providing personnel at the PHCs and the sub-centres coming in its jurisdiction.
All personnel working in the PHC should be employees of the agency and the existing staff of the government will be withdrawn for re-deployment elsewhere except those retained on deputation by mutual consent.
The employment of personnel by the agency has to be in accordance with the staffing patterns sanctioned by the government.
The district health and family welfare officer will monitor the working of the PHC. To ensure proper co-ordination between the private agency and the government, a co-ordination committee headed by the HFWS (health and family welfare services) Commissioner has been envisaged with the CEO of the Zilla Parishad and others as members. The committee will meet once in six months thereafter to address issues between the two agencies.
According to the scheme, the 'period of entrustment' is for five years subject to review and confirmation of the arrangement after two years. The PHCs are grouped into two categories on the basis of their performance. The first category comprises top 50 per cent. While any of the PHCs included in the second category can be entrusted for management either by the private medical college or other institutions. The PHCs in the first category are not so entrusted.
However, where private medical colleges have already adopted PHCs, even if they are grouped in the first category, they will be allowed to continue their management. The scheme has been introduced this year. So far the response from the private medical colleges, NGOs and corporate houses has been good.