Bhopal: The state govt plans to allocate land for private medical colleges, sparking debate about the use of public resource.
In a press release on Tuesday, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) argued this model has proven unsuccessful elsewhere in India and govt medical colleges should be established instead. Rajendra Shukla, public health and medical education minister, announced the cabinet’s decision to offer 25 acres of land to private investors for a nominal fee of Rs 1.
This proposal contrasts with previous requirements for investors to purchase land. Under the new plan, the govt will provide land and patient access at district hospitals, while private entities invest in medical education, according to JSA. Critics question the govt’s decision. “When the hospital and land areas are govt lands, then the govt should also build the buildings, provide facilities from its own resources, and establish govt medical colleges,” stated Amulya Nidhi and Rajkumar Sinha of JSA. The proposal includes a provision for Ayushman cardholders to receive up to 75% free treatment at hospitals affiliated with these private medical colleges. However, current public hospitals, including those attached to govt medical colleges, offer entirely free care.
Critics point to the lack of successful examples of this concessional rate model in India.
The debate coincides with a Supreme Court case involving Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi. On March 26, 2025, the court addressed the hospital’s alleged violation of a lease agreement requiring free treatment for a portion of its poor patients.
SR Azad, Sudha Tiwari, and Rahul Yadav stated, “Jan Swasthya Abhiyan opposes the Madhya Pradesh govt’s decision and demands that the govt explain how this decision will benefit the public and what the compulsion is for not opening govt medical colleges.” The Abhiyan further calls for a halt to public-private partnerships and privatization within the health sector.
