This Public Private Partnership model involves the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases – Cardio Vascular diseases, Cancers and Pulmonary Diseases.
F or provision of prevention and treatment services of non-communicable diseases (NCD) at district hospitals especially in Tier II and Tier III cities, policy think tank NITI Aayog launched the Guidelines and Model Concessionaire Agreement or MCA as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) for NCDs.
The guidelines come in the backdrop of the fact that the contribution of Cardio Vascular diseases, Cancers and Pulmonary Diseases to the overall disease burden in the country has increased over the years.
“In the past, many district hospitals in the country have focused mainly on communicable diseases, reproductive and child health. As a result of which the capacity for handling NCD cases has not been adequately developed,” the think tank said in a statement.
Developed by NITI Aayog in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, State Governments and representatives from the healthcare industry, the salient features of the partnership include Palliative care, Medicinal/Conservative Management including Chemotherapy, Growth Inhibitors and Hormone Therapy.
Besides these, emergency management of acute syndromes, Medicinal/Conservative Management and Angiography/Angioplasty as part of Cardiology would also be provided.
The statement said that while Government would provide space within the existing district hospitals, the Private partner, the guidelines suggest, will invest in “upgrading/building and equipping the facility” and will be responsible for operational management and service delivery.
Offered by a Single partner or a single consortium of private partners, user fee under the PPP model is to be the same as specified under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or states insurance schemes.
States which do not have such insurance packages, could use CGHS package rates for the period when such insurance rates are not available, the statement read.
These PPP guidelines and MCA target the critical gaps that can be filled by ‘strategic purchasing’ in public health services highlighted in the National Health Policy 2017.
“This would play a key role in directing private investment towards those areas and those services for which currently there are no providers or few providers.”
Niti Aayog further held that the MCA and Guidelines for the provision of prevention and treatment services for NCDs could be adapted and customised by each state to ultimately develop appropriate strategies in accordance with the requirements provided in these documents.
Presently, in India, patients have to travel long distances for availing medical services for NCDs due to urban bias in the availability of private health care, especially secondary and tertiary care which is disproportionately skewed towards Tier-1 cities. The patients in towns and rural areas are largely underserviced. PPP for NCDs in district hospitals, the Government Body said, will play a pivotal role in ensuring the availability of the services at least at the district headquarters.