Vijayapura: The announcement by CM Siddaramaiah that the government has decided to establish a medical college in Vijayapura on Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model, during his recent visit to Almatti, has not gone well with the locals.Earlier, medical education minister Dr Sharanaprakash Patil had hinted that the proposed new medical college would be on PPP model and the CM only affirmed it.Vijayapura already has two private medical colleges—BLDE medical college and Al-Ameen medical college—but there has been a demand for a govt medical colleges for the economically weak meritorious students. Those unhappy with the govt’s plan to establish the medical college on PPP model, point out that this move will only help the private sector to make profit, and isn’t in anyway useful to the people of the region.Senior journalist Gopal Naik said establishing a medical college through PPP, means reducing financial burden on the govt and allowing private companies to profit. In this model, the govt provides necessary land for the college. A private institution must construct the building. The govt provides the district hospital to a private institution for clinical facilities for that college. The hospital must be managed by a private institution. The hospital staff receives salary allowance from the health and family welfare department but must work under a private institution. The private institution must pay salary allowance of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the college.Though seat allotment will be through NEET, there is no clarity on who should have authority to fill the NRI quota and private quota seats and the fee structure.Ready-made facilitiesVijayapura has all the requisite facilities and infrastructure and there will not be additional financial burden, said Sudheer Tankasali, a civil engineer. There is a well-equipped 1000-bed district hospital which caters to 1,500 in/outpatients every day. It has MRI, CT scan, nature cure facilities and trauma hospital. There is a 150 acres of open govt land just behind the district hospital and there is no need for investment on land. Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy who has adopted Vijayapura district, has performed the Bhoomi Pooja for the construction of a well-equipped guesthouse for the attenders of the patients in the district hospital.Minister Shivanand unhappy; Yatnal welcomes the decisionWhile Sugar minister Shivanand Patil has taken exception to the PPP model for the medical college, Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has welcomed the decision. Sources said Yatnal would be interested in staking his claim to be a partner in the PPP model. District minister MB Patil’s BLDE is unlikely to be interested in the PPP model because BLDE is a deemed university and can bring in another medical college if it so desires.
