Max Healthcare lone bidder for Punjab’s two cancer hospitals
Punjab governments attempt to fight the scourge of cancer by setting up of two super-specialty cancer hospitals,one each in Mohali and cancer-belt of Malwa in Bathinda...
Punjab government’s attempt to fight the scourge of cancer by setting up of two super-specialty cancer hospitals,one each in Mohali and cancer-belt of Malwa in Bathinda,have failed to evoke a good response from private healthcare groups. Though over half-a-dozen healthcare majors such as Apollo,Fortis,Max Healthcare,Alchemist,Reliance,Metro,Narayana Hirdalaya and Gracian Hospitals,had participated in the pre-bid meet held last month,only Max Healthcare has finally bid for the two facilities,which are to come up in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
It is learnt that at the pre-bid meet,the bidders had raised objections to certain clauses,including common entrance for the civil and private hospital,bringing down the percentage of beds in the general ward from the proposed 40 per cent to 20 per cent and permission to mortgage the property for obtaining secure loans from banks in view of the investment being capital-intensive,besides bringing down the minimum obligation to pay 5 per cent of the gross turnover to the state government.
The 18-month deadline to complete the hospital from the date of approval was also a major concern,besides the lack of a direct access to the Mohali hospital from the main road.
However,the Punjab government had expressed its unwillingness to agree to the proposed changes,stating that these conditions were put in the interest of the state,say sources in the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB),the executing agency for the PPP projects. Finally,none other than Max Healthcare submitted the request for proposal (RFP) document,comprising technical and financial bids.
Officials of Max Healthcare,when contacted,said though they,too,had raised a few points at the pre-bid meet,they finally went ahead with the bid as part of their “social obligation”.
“We at Max strongly feel that when skills exist in the country,they should also reach places such as Bathinda and to people who need them. As those in the medical business,it is our responsibility to provide quality healthcare and partner with the government in achieving this objective,” Shabnam Kapoor of Max Healthcare said,adding that they are not aware of the fact that no other group has bid,though they expected quite a few of them to do so.
Fortis Healthcare,on its not bidding for the super-specialty cancer hospitals in their home state,said they are willing to invest big time in the health infrastructure of the state. “However,on the issue of the two cancer hospitals,we have shared our concerns with the government officials,” its resident head,Amardeep Singh,said.
The two hospitals will come up adjoining the existing district civil hospitals in Mohali and Bathinda over 3.15 and 4.8 acres,respectively. While the government will offer land on long-term lease of 50 years,the private players would be responsible for designing,engineering,finance,construction,operation and management of the hospitals. They would have a minimum bed capacity of 200,of which minimum 50 beds would be for cancer and 50 for trauma centre.
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