Bhopal, September 17 (Daily Kiran) : The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has made serious allegations against the government of Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The party claims that the state intends to privatize nine government medical colleges.
Jaswinder Singh, the state secretary of CPI(M), pointed to the tragic deaths of over two dozen tribal children in Balaghat, as well as fatalities in Shivpuri and Rewa hospitals, as evidence of the government’s insensitivity. He criticized the administration for failing to address the shortcomings in the public health system, such as filling vacant doctor positions and enhancing hospital facilities. Instead, he accused the government of planning to hand over public healthcare to private entities.
Singh alleged that after spending ₹4,000 crore on the development of these nine medical colleges, the government is now seeking to transfer them to private ownership. The colleges in question are located in Neemuch, Singrauli, Shyopur, Mandla, Rajgarh, Budhni, Damoh, and Chhatarpur. This significant investment is now at risk of being privatized.
He noted that this is not the first attempt by the state government to privatize healthcare services. Previously, shortly after the Yadav administration took office, there was a proposal to operate 11 district hospitals under a public-private partnership model. However, public opposition forced the government to retract its plans.
Additionally, during Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s tenure, there was a similar proposal in 2021 to operate the medical college in Ujjain, the chief minister’s hometown, under a PPP model. That decision was also reversed due to public outcry. Recently, the government decided to privatize 19 community health centers across three districts, which has faced ongoing protests.
Singh emphasized that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public witnessed how private nursing homes either shut down or exploited patients. It was the government hospitals that provided essential services during the crisis. He warned that the current BJP government is jeopardizing public health by pushing for privatization.
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