IDPD urges Punjab Govt to increase Health Budget for direct public care, reject corporate takeover
Ferozepur, November 6, 2025: The Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) has called on the Punjab government to significantly enhance its health budget and prioritise direct public healthcare delivery, firmly opposing any handover of services to corporate entities.
IDPD President Dr Arun Mitra and Central Committee Member Dr Inderveer Gill highlighted that upcoming medical colleges in Sangrur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar will operate under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model via the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB), with tenders already issued. They raised critical concerns: Will fees match those of government colleges? What scholarships exist for poor students? And will services remain free for all?
Evaluation teams under PIDB's Operation and Management model are assessing hospitals in Rajpura, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Munak, and Moga—steps IDPD views as the onset of privatisation.
Post-COVID, healthcare and medical education costs have skyrocketed across India and Punjab, burdening poor and working-class families. IDPD questioned whether these initiatives will ease access or exacerbate inequalities.
Global evidence shows superior health outcomes in nations with direct government-provided services compared to private or insurance-based systems. IDPD urged the Punjab Government to reject privatisation, increase the health budget, and prioritise universal public healthcare.