WB govt to regulate pvt health services

Kolkata, Nov 5 (UNI) West Bengal government is planning to set up a regulatory body for the state's booming private healthcare sector to ensure quality medical services to the people at reasonable cost.

State Health&Family Welfare special secretary H H Dwivedi said today the state has already started reviewing the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Act to make private healthcare delivery system more transparent and effective.

''We will launch a regulatory body for the state's private healthcare sector. The review of the act would make the licensing process of private healthcare bodies more stringent,'' he added.

The modalities of creating this body would be completed by next year.

Speaking about the private-public-partnership (PPP) initiatives of the government, Mr Dwivedi said the state would set up a dedicated PPP cell in the health department. The state is also working on a strategy to attract private investment in the non-urban areas and undertake several PPP pilot projects across the state.

The PPP projects would include accreditation of private clinics in rural areas to provide mother and child healthcare services, establish 50 auxiliary nursing and midwifery training institutes and contract out primary healthcare centres to private parties.

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