An NGO committed to promoting public health, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), has expressed significant opposition to the Madhya Pradesh government’s recent proposal to privatize ten district hospitals. JSA asked in a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav that the notification allowing commercial businesses to run these hospitals be withdrawn. They also urged for a total prohibition on private involvement in the health sector. The districts of Katni, Morena, Panna, Balaghat, Bhind, Dhar, Khargone, Sidhi, Tikamgarh, and Betul are home to the hospitals impacted by this decision.
The main defense offered by JSA against privatization is the necessity of fortifying the public health system to guarantee fair access to healthcare for all residents. Amulya Nidhi, SR Azad, Dhirendra Arya, and Sudha Tiwari, among other JSA representatives, stressed that improving the public health infrastructure should take precedence over giving private management of the system. They contend that the main objective of the public health system, universal healthcare, could be undermined by privatization, which could result in discrimination and inequality in access to healthcare.
The NGO’s opposition is also rooted in historical precedents where privatization attempts in the state’s healthcare sector have failed. In 2016, the Madhya Pradesh government faced significant challenges when it tried to sublet health services at the Alirajpur district hospital and the Community Health Centre in Jobat. Similarly, a 2012 initiative to privatize Indore’s MY Hospital met with resistance from doctors and the public, leading to its eventual withdrawal. Amulya Nidhi highlighted these instances to argue against repeating past mistakes.
Furthermore, Nidhi referenced the Arogya Bandhu scheme of the Karnataka government as an example of a private healthcare initiative gone wrong. Notwithstanding the program’s original objectives, the Karnataka government’s assessment of it concluded that it was ineffective, which supports JSA’s position that privatization is not a workable way to enhance healthcare services.
The NGO’s letter underscores a broader debate about the role of privatization in public services. Proponents of privatization argue that it can lead to more efficient management and better quality of services. However, opponents, like JSA, caution that privatization can lead to reduced accessibility, higher costs, and potential neglect of marginalized populations.
JSA is against the privatization of district hospitals in Madhya Pradesh because it believes that public health services should be improved rather than transferred to private companies, is concerned about equity, and previous attempts to accomplish similar goals have failed. The NGO’s position emphasizes the significance of keeping a focus on universal and non-discriminatory healthcare access as well as the necessity of carefully weighing the effects of privatization on public health systems.
SOURCE:
TIMES OF INDIA
