NGO opposes privatization of 10 District Hospitals in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: In a recent development,
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) has criticized the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to privatize 10 district hospitals. In a letter addressed to Chief Minister
Mohan Yadav, the NGO has urged the government to withdraw the notification and deny the private entities power to manage these hospitals.
The organization has
called for a boycott of private intervention in the health sector. The government’s
move aligns with the Niti Aayog’s proposal and affects districts such as
Katni, Morena, Panna, Balaghat, Bhind, Dhar, Khargone, Sidhi, Tikamgarh, and
Betul. JSA’s letter highlights the importance of strengthening the public
health system rather than transferring control to private entities, reports the Times of India. The NGO’s opposition is rooted in the history of unsuccessful
attempts by the state government to privatize government-run hospitals.
In a joint statement by NGO
representatives, Amulya Nidhi, SR Azad, Dhirendra Arya, and Sudha Tiwari said, “Today,
the need is to strengthen the public health system and ensure health services
for all without discrimination and not to hand over public health institutions
to private hands.”
In 2016, the state’s
decision to subcontract health services at the Alirajpur District Hospital and the
Community Health Centre in Jobat encountered significant challenges. Similarly,
an initiative involving Indore’s MY Hospital in 2012 faced resistance from both
doctors and the public, leading to its eventual abandonment, reports the Daily.
“That too was
unsuccessful and due to opposition from doctors and the public, the govt had to
withdraw this decision,” said Nidhi. JSA member Amulya Nidhi
has also pointed to the Karnataka government’s Arogya Bandhu scheme, which
involved private participation but was ultimately deemed unsuccessful by the
government’s own evaluation. The NGO’s stance underscores the need for a robust
public health system and cautions against relying on privatization as a
solution to healthcare challenges.
Jan Swasthya Sahayata
Abhiyan has been formed by the Healthcare Research and Development Board
(Division of Social Welfare Organization “NAC”) to provide affordable, free and better treatment with health-related assistance to poor and needy people.
The purpose of the organization is to provide better treatment by special
doctors, medicines and medical tests to the poor and needy people of the
country through Jan Swasthya Sahayata Abhiyan, also motivating people to follow
the guidelines given by the government to stay safe from COVID-19 by organizing
awareness programs and providing health-related support as well as providing
yoga and exercise training.
