Government of Kerala to start Medical Colleges on PPP basis

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala got permission from Union Minister of State for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday for a project to start medical colleges in Kerala on Public-Private Partnership basis. The Ministries of Health, Company Affairs and Power have given full consent to the first phase of the project, which is the Harippad Medical College. The Ministry of Power would provide 25 acres of land required for constructing medical college at Harippad. In a meeting held at New Delhi, Jyotiraditya assured Chandy and Ramesh that sufficient land would be allotted from the 900 acres of land belonging to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at Harippad. Land will be handed to Kerala on December. Permission has also been given to consider these lands as state government’s share. The state government has formed a company for the construction of medical college at Harippad with the permission of Ministry of Company Affairs. The company, which is named as Kerala Medical Infrastructural Ltd. (Med-Infra), is modelled on Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) at Nedumbassery. The estimated cost is Rs. 270 crore. A director board comprising Health Department Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan, Finance Department Secretary V.P. Joy, Health Department Director Dr. P.K. Jameela, Director of Medical Education Dr. V. Geetha, NRHM State Mission Director Dr. M. Beena, and Special Officer for new medical colleges Dr. P.G.R. Pillai has also been formed. An application for registering the company was also submitted with the consent of Union Health Ministry. The Health Secretary will become the first chairman of the company. The 76 % share of Harippad Medical College would be given to NRI Malayalis. The government’s share is land. The motto is to gather at first Rs. 80 crore through 1000 shares.