Jaipur: Health minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar on Tuesday dismissed claims made by former health minister Raghu Sharma that doctors were being appointed to administrative positions based on ideological considerations.
Sharma, who was health minister in the previous Ashok Gehlot-led govt, had said, “It is sad to see the condition of medical institutions. If you appoint doctors on administrative posts based on their ideology, just as you appoint teachers to administrative posts on that basis, then it is pushing the country into dirt (gart main daalne ka kaam kar rahe hain).”
During his visit to SMS hospital on Tuesday, Khimsar said in repsonse to Sharma’s claims, “We have appointed eligible people to administrative posts. Tell us how many RSS functionaries we have appointed who are ineligible and not competent,” he said.
Khimsar also spoke in favour of public-private partnerships at the upcoming IPD tower at SMS Hospital. He highlighted existing successful PPP arrangements at SMS Hospital, claiming that a high number of patients enables private operators to provide services at reduced rates, benefiting both govt and public. He cited airport operations as an example while speaking on plans to outsource air ambulance services rather than purchasing them.
Khimsar clarified that the govt would retain control of the IPD tower, rather than transferring it entirely to private management.
