Pimpri civic body plans its own cancer hospital

The PCMC plans to set up the hospital on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis and will try and leverage on Centre’s Viability Gap Funding Scheme,under which the Centre extends help to civic bodies for various infrastructure projects. “We will explore this possibility,though we are not sure whether the Centre will be keen to extend help for this project,” he said.

Sharma said private hospitals would be invited for the project providing them with land and the required subsidy. “We will help the firm intending to set up the hospital make the project bankable. In other words,we will extend the required monetary help to see the project through,” he said. Sharma said even if a huge sum is required to make the project bankable,the PCMC won’t mind going an extra mile.

“But our help will depend on the expertise and fulfilling of eligibility criteria by the firm wishing to go ahead with the project,” he said. The PCMC is currently drafting a set of conditions,requirements and norms for setting up the hospital.

Sharma said the civic body is hoping that top players in the field like Apollo Hospital would show interest. “Like the cathlab project run by the Ruby Hall Clinic,we want to ensure that patients get 40 per cent concession in the hospital bill. That will be an important criterion,” he said.

Welcoming the move,Dr Sanjay Deshmukh,a top cancer surgeon associated with Ruby Hall Clinic,said,“Such a hospital will be in the larger interest of the cancer patients who come from poor families. The cost of cancer treatment is rising day by day and if a cancer hospital with affordable rates comes up,it will be a welcome development,” he said. Dr Deshmukh said he has not hitherto heard of any civic body setting up a cancer hospital.