-The Hindu Bidders asked for an extended deadline, says SHRC director The last date of submission of the much awaited bids for establishing private diagnostic centres in public health facilities of Chhattisgarh has been moved to February 10 from February 1. Explaining this change, J.P. Mishra, architect of the privatisation programme and State Health Resource Centre (SHRC) Director, an autonomous body that is overseeing the privatisation, told The Hindu that the bidders...

-The Economic Times Over the past 15 months, rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has made more than 150 visits to 41 of the 82 Naxal-affected districts. Emerging as the government's face in these remote areas, Ramesh talks to ET about the efforts and progress needed to contain the Maoist influence. * Fifteen months of "development" focus in the Naxal-affected areas. What's the progress? It's a mixed bag: some progress in Jharkhand, West...

-The Times of India MUMBAI: The state government will spend Rs2,000 crore over the next five years to build health infrastructure across rural Maharashtra. Sources said the government is scouting for land to set up a 300-bed super specialty hospital in the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai. Currently, there is no such hospital in the suburbs. Nearly 42 trauma care centres are to be set up along national and state highways The rural...

-The Hindu ‘In-patients will have to pay up if private agencies are allowed to use diagnostic centres to serve external customers’ The Chhattisgarh government’s move to outsource diagnostic services in public health facilities has evoked a sharp reaction from health activists, who fear that it will destroy laboratory services. The government has issued a request for proposals for private partnership in radiology and laboratory services in 379 public health facilities. Three categories of...

-Frontine The finalised chapter on health in the 12th Plan document envisages a large role for the private sector in health care. A chapter on health prepared for the draft 12th Five Year Plan Document in July received a lot of criticism for its limited understanding of universal health care and its diluted commitment to increase public expenditure on health. If the revised version is any indication, there has not been...