Bhopal, Aug 25 : Madhya Pradesh is once again embracing the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in healthcare ' this time with a renewed focus on medical education.

After an earlier attempt to place government medical facilities under PPP management, the state is now entering fresh agreements with private partners to establish medical colleges under a Union government-backed scheme.

BJP National President and Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Jagat Prakash Nadda, is visiting Jabalpur on Monday to formally launch the initiative.

During his visit, contracts will be signed for the creation of new medical colleges in Dhar, Betul, Panna, and Katni districts, all under the PPP framework.

In addition to these agreements, Union Minister Nadda will also inaugurate two government-run medical colleges in Sheopur and Singrauli ' part of a broader strategy to expand access to healthcare and medical education in underserved regions of the state.

In 2015, Madhya Pradesh became one of the earliest states to experiment with the PPP model in healthcare, handing over the management of Alirajpur District Hospital to a Gujarat-based non-profit organisation.

The move, initiated under the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in the state, aimed to improve maternal and infant mortality rates in one of India's most underserved districts.

Alirajpur, with a literacy rate of just 37.2 per cent (2011 Census) and the highest multidimensional poverty index in the state, was seen as a critical test case.

However, the initiative was short-lived. Public backlash and a legal challenge over the lack of a transparent tendering process led the Madhya Pradesh High Court to intervene, ultimately shelving the plan within months.

Similar PPP experiments had already been attempted in Karnataka, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh, even before the NITI Aayog formally recommended the model.

The PPP framework has since gained regulatory backing. Clause 2(5) of the National Medical Commission's Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999, permits governments to allow private entities to set up medical colleges using existing public hospital infrastructure, provided the hospital has at least 300 beds and adequate facilities.

India's healthcare system continues to grapple with infrastructure gaps.

As per the National Health Profile 2021, the country has only 0.6 hospital beds per 1,000 population ' far below the WHO's recommendation of 3 beds.

The private sector dominates with 58 per cent of hospitals, 29 per cent of beds, and 81 per cent of doctors.

To address this, the government has aggressively expanded medical education.

Since 2014, medical colleges have increased by 71 per cent, MBBS seats by 97 per cent, and PG seats by 110 per cent.

Uttar Pradesh alone has added 27 new medical colleges under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).

In March 23, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats.

There is an increase of 71 per cent in medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 660 as of now.

Further, there is an increase of 97 per cent in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 101,043 as of 2023. There is also an increase of 110 per cent in PG seats from 31,185 before 2014 to 65,335 which includes, 13,246 Diplomate of National Board (DNB)/Fellowship of National Board (FNB) PG seats and 1621 PG seats in College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS).

Through analysis of recent state-specific developments, approximately 11 medical colleges are running on PPP mode as of 2025.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has approved establishment of 27 Medical Colleges in Uttar Pradesh under the CSS for 'Establishment of new Medical Colleges attached with existing district/referral hospitals', including a medical college at Siddharth Nagar.

The medical college started with permission for 100 MBBS seats by the National Medical Commission (NMC) from the academic year 2021-22. As per NMC regulations, a medical college/medical institution shall be entitled to make an application to increase the admission capacity for MBBS/PG Diploma/PG Degree/Higher Specialty Courses, once the concerned qualification against the sanctioned intake has been granted recognition.

The legacy of Alirajpur remains a cautionary tale ' underscoring the need for transparency, community trust, and robust oversight in PPP healthcare ventures.

/IANS