State Govt's Big Move: Hospitals on Rent for Private Medical Colleges to Boost MBBS Seats

To address the growing need for health professionals in the state, the Bengal government has sanctioned a proposal for collaborating with private firms in establishing new medical colleges. The government is providing government hospitals on lease to make this happen, with private players availing hospital infrastructure for the first five years, which can be extended up to 33 years depending on the deal. The decision seeks to significantly increase the seats of MBBS in Bengal, currently at 5,650.

Private investors have also expressed interest in opening new medical colleges, but several of them do not have adequate hospital facilities. According to National Medical Commission (NMC) rules, a 300-bed hospital is a prerequisite for opening a medical college.

The rate of hospital bed rentals is location-based. For municipal corporation zones, the charge will be ₹15,000 per bed per month. In other municipal zones, it will be ₹12,000, and in rural areas, ₹10,000 per bed. Over time, these charges will be revised—doubling in the fourth year and tripling by the seventh year. For instance, a 300-bed hospital leased in an urban area would cost a private medical college ₹5.4 crore in the first year alone.

A formal Expression of Interest (EOI) was issued recently to kickstart the process, and the state government has created a dedicated project cell to evaluate proposals from private entities. These proposals will be assessed by a committee of secretaries based on technical and financial criteria.

Successful applicants will be required to sign an agreement initially valid for five years, with the possibility of extension up to 33 years, provided they adhere to the required norms.

Bengal currently has 37 medical colleges and has plans to build five more. The aim is to accelerate the establishment of new colleges and begin operation in the 2026–27 or 2027–28 academic sessions. The government also hopes the new colleges will donate 50% of seats to the state quota, and fees will be regulated by the NMC for making it affordable.

To accommodate the universal health coverage scheme, Swasthya Sathi, and meet the growing need for healthcare workers, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also oversees the health department has endorsed the initiative. The influx of trained doctors and paramedics through this expansion is expected to strengthen the state’s public healthcare system.

However, if a private party fails to operationalize a medical college within a year of acquiring the hospital on rent, they may receive an extension of up to one more year. The penalty in such cases is 50 lakh rupees. Moreover, if the private institution eventually develops its own teaching hospital in line with NMC requirements, it can terminate its lease earlier than the full term.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)