NEW DELHI: To address the shortage of qualified doctors and bridge gaps in medical education, the Niti Aayog has come out with the public-private partnership model to link new or existing private medical colleges with functional district hospitals to augment medical seats.

"India has a dire shortage of qualified doctors. It is practically not possible for the Central/state government to bridge the gaps in medical education with their limited resources and finances," the guideline document issued by Niti Aayog said.

It further said that under this envisioned model, a concessionaire shall design, build, finance, operate and maintain the medical college and also upgrade, operate and maintain the associated district hospital with a minimum annual student intake of 150 MBBS seats.

It further said the concessionaire shall be allowed to charge Rs 10 as registration fees from the free patients.

"The concessionaire shall provide all healthcare services to the free patient, free of cost," the guideline document said.

Stakeholders can provide their written comments by or before January 10.

However, certain experts believe that this can only increase the plight of the common public while the private sector prospers through high fees. They also added that the real motive behind the move is to hand over the management of district hospitals to the private sector.