Patna, October 16: The Bihar government is exploring the potential of managing brownfield medical colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to promote medical education and make healthcare services more quality, accessible, and effective in the state. Chief Minister Smriti Irani—wait, the text says Smarat Choudhary. Let me correct that. Chief Minister Smarat Choudhary chaired a review meeting of the Health Department on Friday at the Lok Sevak Ashram Sankalp Auditorium, where he examined the proposals presented in this regard in detail. He clarified that under this model, priority will be given to Bihar’s investors and doctors interested in partnership, so that the state’s resources are utilized better and the people of Bihar benefit directly.

The Chief Minister stated that while moving forward with proposals for the management of medical colleges and hospitals under the PPP model, it must be ensured in all circumstances that public interest, government ownership, students’ educational interests, and patients’ rights are protected. He firmly stated that the ownership of medical colleges and hospitals will remain with the government, and there will be no scope for their privatization or transfer of ownership. The proposed agreement will clearly define the responsibilities of the government and the private partner to ensure transparency and accountability in administrative matters.

At the review meeting, Health Department Secretary Kumar Roy presented details of the proposals for the management of brownfield medical colleges under the PPP model through a presentation. He stated that arrangements will be made to prominently display important information regarding prescribed treatment fees in hospitals, patient eligibility, different types of beds, and patient rights in both Hindi and English on hospital premises and online platforms. The aim of this step is to provide clear information to patients and their families about treatment costs, available facilities, and relevant regulations, so that they do not face any confusion or unnecessary distress during treatment.

The Chief Minister said that in the implementation of the PPP model, special importance will be given to the effective use of government resources, infrastructure development, improvement of the administrative system, and the quality of medical education. It must also be ensured that despite private partnership, common people continue to receive quality and accessible medical facilities.

Smarat Choudhary said that while working on the PPP model for brownfield medical colleges, priority should be given to Bihar’s investors. Doctors in the state who wish to participate in this project should also be given priority. He stated that the government’s primary objective is to benefit the people of Bihar, and in this process, all stakeholders must keep public interest paramount. Emphasizing the need to expand medical education and improve the quality of healthcare services, he said that the capacity of medical colleges can be increased by better utilizing available resources and infrastructure. In the next steps of the proposed projects, priority should be given to educational quality, administrative capacity, infrastructure, and medical facilities for the general public.

The Chief Minister directed to modernize and strengthen the district headquarters hospitals in the state, stating that modern medical facilities should be easily available to patients there. Attention should be paid to improving the infrastructure and services of hospitals so that patients have less need to travel to other cities for better treatment. He also directed to work towards further modernizing the Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital in Patna and linking it with major Ayurvedic institutions in the country. The aim of this step is to improve facilities for Ayurvedic education, research, and treatment. The Chief Minister said that the Bihar government is committed to strengthening medical education and healthcare services in the state. To achieve this goal, while reviewing all possibilities, public interest, quality treatment, and patient rights should be given top priority.