Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday admitted that the quality of healthcare in rural Bengal is very poor. “The situation can improve only with the help of the private sector. We are exploring the options with Public Private Partnership, as the government cannot possibly take care of everyone,” he said at the inauguration of a day-care centre and the Apollo Gleneagles Nursing College.

Outlining the recent initiatives, Bhattacharjee said: “ A cancer research hospital by the Tata group is coming up in Rajarhat.

Doctor SS Badrinath is opening an advanced eye hospital in Jadavpur and a medical college is coming up, replacing the Jadavpur TB hospital. The Armenian Church has shown interest in upgrading the Mayo Hospital.”

Informing that the Apollo Gleneagles is setting up a medical college in West Bengal in collaboration with the state government, the chief minister said, “The government has earmarked the Sagar Dutta hospital in Kamarhati to be taken over by the group.” The Rs 100-crore project is expected to start by September.

“The hospital will have 580 beds. We will ensure that there are some free beds in the hospital to cater to the poor,” said Manas Mukherjee, CPM legislator of Kamarhati.

Executive chairman of the Apollo hospitals Pratap C Reddy said that the state government is providing the land on a long-term lease and the group will develop the infrastructure.

“Besides MBBS courses, the college will have superspeciality courses, a nursing college, centre of hospital management and paramedical courses,” said Pratap Reddy. Sunita Reddy, a senior official of the group, said, “For poor people, we have made provisions for 131 free beds in the Sagar Dutta Hospital.”