Govt’s decision to ‘privatise’ medical colleges under PPP model opposed

Visakhapatnam: Former Vice Chancellor and UPSC board member KS Chalam said that the public private partnership model in medical education is nothing but handing over the public assets to a few private entities.

At a round table meeting organised by People For India Visakhapatnam Forum on PPP model in government medical colleges and its ill effects organised here on Saturday, he pointed out that private entities will strive for greater profits, thereby distancing the poor and the middle classes from medical education.

While the state government asserts that they are not privatising education but only the construction of the premises, he said, it is nothing but a blatant lie. “The present state government plans to lease out these premises to private entities for a 60 year period. It is as good as handing over the lands and buildings and also the education to private players on a platter.

The private medical colleges across the country are already charging exorbitant fees, making the medical education inaccessible to the poor and middle classes,“ he stated.

There have been several complaints registered against the private colleges. The students, political parties and all peoples’ organisations are fighting against the decision of the Chandrababu Naidu government that aims to privatise medical education. Now protests are being organised across the state against the decision of the government to hand over 17 medical colleges to private partners in the PPP model, he said. Further Chalam emphasised that health and medical education should always remain in the public sector or under the government control.

MVS Sarma, former MLC, A Aja Sarma, general secretary, Uttarandhra Abhivrudhi Vedika, G Varaprasad, general secretary, Insurance Corporation Employees Union, Visakhapatnam division, LJ Naidu, SFI general secretary, Ajay, SFI president, among others, who participated in the round table meeting demanded the state government to desist from the proposal of introducing PPP model in Government medical Colleges and continue to fund the colleges completely. Members from different organisations, medical students attended the meeting which was presided over by M Kameshwari, convenor, People For India.