Stay off healthcare, govt told

Private healthcare players today asked the government to stay away from the sector and lease out infrastructure to private hospitals for better healthcare delivery.

Citing examples where hospitals like Apollo and Escorts Heart Research Institute have adopted villages in Chitoor and Haryana, corporate hospitals claimed they can do a better job in rural areas.

"With changes in government and policies, we have lost Rs 500,000-10 lakh per month in our rural initiatives. The government should leave tertiary sector to private players to mobilise money and cut out interaction at every level with the bureaucrats," Naresh Trehan, executive director of EHRIC said at the second India Health Summit organised by CII and Indian Healthcare Federation.

Most doctors agreed that the efficiencies of the private sector should be combined with the infrastructure of the public sector.

"There should be outright lease of the public infrastructure, management contracts, and incentives should be given to private hospitals," said Harpal Singh, CMD of Fortis Healthcare.