PPP Model will strengthen entire healthcare ecosystem: NATHEALTH

 NATHEALTH’s ‘Aarogya Bharat 2025’ report recommends that India should have an ecosystem that better supports private investment in healthcare. The recommendations include PPP’s to expand infrastructure, manage government delivery, improvefinancing, R&D, technology infusion and adherence to quality standards. 

It mentions to design a unique PPP framework relevant to the healthcare sector and standardise concessionaire agreements, also establishing an independent agency responsible for managing PPP’s, and monitoring execution.  “We need to work in a collaborative mode to overcome public private trust deficit”, said Secretary General Anjan Bose.

 Government think tank Niti Aayog has also advocated the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to improve health services in the country against the backdrop of dismal performance of public hospitals at district level. Niti Aayog advocates forming a body to promote innovative PPP models.

 “NATHEALTH is very positive about the potential for PPP models to significantly improve healthcare infrastructure and delivery in India. We expect the government’s initiative to promote PPP modelsto become a game changer and hope that the body to promote innovative PPP models, as envisaged by Niti Aayog, will be in placesoon,” said President NATHEALTH Rahul Khosla who is also President of the Max Group.

He further said, “PPP models could potentially be applied to a vast range of medical areas such as tertiary/secondary care, primary care, preventive systems, wellness, medical education, dialysis etc. as well as to provide wider and deeper coverage beyond urban India. We look forward to working closely and supporting the Government in this initiative towards achieving quality and universal healthcare at all levels”.

 In addition, Niti Aayog has recommended outsourcing of primary healthcare to private doctors and promoting competition between government and private hospitals at the secondary level, which involves services of medical specialists.

 This is a radical shift from the current system where the government funds pay salaries to physicians and specialists only in the (Primary Health Centers) PHCs. At the secondary level, choice and competition are seen as cost-effective options. Community health centers and private nursing homes could both be offered incentives by the government for efficient treatment and whoever provides better services will get more attractive compensation.