By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 19, 2018: Odisha government on Monday decided to set up 19 hospitals in 18 districts on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode under the health sector investment policy.

These hospitals will be established based on the parameters of backwardness in health indicators, an official press release said.

A proposal to this effect was discussed in the Empowered Committee on Infrastructure meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A.P. Padhi, who directed officials to decide their locations taking into account the existing health service facilities and newly coming up medical colleges.

The meeting decided to set up new quality care hospitals mostly in backward districts in the state.

Health Secretary P.K. Meherda said these hospitals would be of two different categories.

One type would be 100 bedded and another type would be 200 bedded. The total bed capacity in three different phases would be around 2,600, he added.

The government would provide land at a concessional rate with other infrastructural facilities, and also decide the tariff of treatment in these hospitals.

The private parties would make necessary investments for setting up the hospitals and they would bring in more specialists and clinical personnel, said Meherda.