Country’s top hospitals await nod from UT Admn
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 3: Notwithstanding the Healthcare Investment Policy-2019 introduced in the Jammu and Kashmir, several top private players in the Healthcare Sector in the country are in dilemma where to submit the proposal in the J&K UT Government.
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Official sources told the Excelsior that several top private players in the Healthcare sector including – Fortis, Medanta the Medicity, Park Group of Hospitals and Capitol Hospital Group intend to raise Multi-Specialty/ Super-Specialty Hospitals in Jammu and Srinagar cities, but due to discouraging response and non-implementation of Healthcare Investment Policy at the ground level, lakhs of needy people from Jammu and Kashmir and even the adjoining Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have been deprived of this much awaited health facility.
The then Additional Chief Secretary (Financial Commissioner), J&K, Incharge Health and Medical Education department, Atal Dulloo had declared that the J&K UT Administration has received huge investment of Rs 3325 crores in the Healthcare Sector to establish top private hospitals and health institutions in J&K but the fate of such huge investment is still little known.
Sources further said that on the pattern of J&K Industrial Policy, the J&K Healthcare Investment Policy-2019, the copy of which is available with Excelsior, was framed by the J&K Government during the period of the then Governor, Satya Pal Malik. It was proposed to provide lot of concessions to the Healthcare Industry in J&K to attract good investment.
These concessions include 30% subsidy on capital investment for setting up of multi-specialty/ super specialty hospitals, Medical Colleges, Nursing and Paramedical colleges; subsidy on power tariff, 100% subsidy on diesel generator sets/ green energy option; one time subsidy up to 25% of the cost incurred on induction training of Nursing and Paramedical staff, incentives on expansion of the existing hospitals and medical institutions.
As per this Healthcare Investment Policy, the land is proposed to be provided to the private investors for hospitals and Medical Colleges on the lease basis for a period of 90 years (Initially for a period of 40 years with renewable after expiry of that period), on the premium and as per the conditions as applicable in the J&K Industrial Policy 2016, through J&K SIDCO and J&K SICOP.
“For Multi/Super Specialty Hospitals to be set up outside Municipal Corporation limits, land up to 5 acres for 200 bedded hospital and up to 10 acres for 500 bedded hospital has been proposed to be allotted. Minimum capital investment required will be Rs 80 crores for a 200- bedded hospital and Rs 200 crores for a 500- bedded hospital, to be made/ raised within a period of five years,” the Policy revealed.
In case of Medical Colleges being set up outside Municipal limits, the land will be provided up to 25 acres at a token premium of INR 1 per Kanal, subject to the availability of land and minimum capital investment required for the same will be INR 200 crores. The time period allowed for raising the institution will also be five years. It has been clearly mentioned in the Policy that “Single Window” mechanism will be provided for submitting and clearance of the project proposals of the investors.
Though it was clearly mentioned in the J&K Healthcare Policy that all the project proposals received under this policy, will be put up before Apex Level Project Clearance Committee (ALPCC), headed by Chief Secretary, J&K for the approval through `Single Window’, yet several investors claimed that they have prepared project proposals for the submission to the J&K Government but till today they are unable to trace that `single window’ and moreover, no satisfactory response has been received from the concerned J&K Medical Education and Health Services department or other agency.
Sources in the J&K Health Services said that several top hospitals including Park Group of Hospitals with Rs 400 crores investment, Capitol Chain of Hospitals with a investment project worth Rs 300 crores, Fortis , Medhanta the Medicity Gurugram, Yashoda Group of Hospitals etc with big investment proposals intend to set up Super-Specialty hospitals in Jammu and Srinagar but their proposals have been gathering dust in cupboards of the concerned agencies due to the reason best known to the people at the helm of affairs.
Sources further revealed that J&K Government proposed to allot land to all the hospitals at one place, old Resin factory complex, at Miran Sahib on Jammu-R S Pura road (Closer to Ring Road) but Managements of these hospitals are demanding lands at different locations like along Jammu-Samba-Pathankote National Highway near Bari Brahmana or Sarore; Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar highway near Nagrota; Bypass -Sidhra, or Jammu-Akhnoor Road and in the similar manner in Srinagar City. Even they claimed that while enacting draft policy by J&K Government, the stake holders were not consulted.
Chairman of the Capitol Group of Hospitals, Dr Purthi when contacted said if J&K Government can manage prime locations for AIIMS, IIT, IIM etc then what is the problem in providing land at some ideal locations to the private hospitals. They will invest money ranging from Rs 2000 crores to 2500 crores, and they have to get a place for the success of the project and not failure. Dr Purthi said he is ready to raise 300 bedded hospital at Miran Sahib if only he is allowed to set up there. Capitol Group is already constructing two big hospitals at Ludhiana and Moga in Punjab, he added.
Another senior representative from the Management of Medanta (Gurugram) said, they are trying to get some suitable land from J&K Government to set up super-specialty hospital in Jammu but the land is not being provided at the ideal location. He said they had sent a representative to Jammu but he was shown land near Miran Sahib, where Government intends to raise Medicity with all the major hospitals at one location but that is not acceptable to all and moreover, the land is not sufficient there.
Commissioner/ Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Dr Abid Rashid Shah when contacted said that this fort-folio has been shifted to J&K Industries department and they are tasked by the JKUT Administration to allot land. Health Department has nothing to do with it. When asked about implementation of J&K Healthcare Investment Policy, Dr Shah said he was not aware of it.
Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, J&K, Vikramjeet Singh, however, said that Yashoda Group of Hospitals of South, PMC Hospitals, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Delhi along with Platinum Group have sent their proposals but the land is not available at the prime locations as per their demand in Jammu. He said Paras Group of Hospitals has raised hospital in Srinagar on some private property.
Director, Industries Jammu, Dr Arun Manhas when contacted said that they have received several proposals for raising super-specialty hospitals but the land issue of all of them could not be resolved. Apollo Group has been allotted nearly 56 Kanals of land at Dilli (Kunjwani-Sidhra Bypass Road) to raise 250 bedded hospital. They signed lease deed as well in December 2023.
Replying to another question, Dr Manhas said about 100 Kanals of land at old Resin Factory, Miran Sahab along Ring Road is available but most of the investors are not in favour of having all the hospitals at one place. The Director said he was not much aware of the Healthcare Investment Policy but those who had applied before September 30, 2024 , under Rs 28,400 cr, J&K Industrial Policy may be covered under it.
Singh further disclosed that Milli Trust of Madhubani in Bihar has been allotted land near Srinagar to set up a Medical College and a big Super Specialty Hospital. Areesha Royal Hospital Group has also been allotted land in Srinagar and they have already started work on 500 bedded hospital. As the election process is over, the land allotment process will be expedited for the other pending hospital proposals in Jammu also, the Commissioner/ Secretary added.
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