Bhubaneswar, July 16: A standing committee on health and family welfare has recommended that the state government should design a system to lease out diagnostic centres located inside medical institutions to skilled and trained local manpower with a condition that they would provide services at a nominal rate (to be fixed by the state government).

The committee of the Orissa Assembly, which inspected the health and family welfare department, observed that the state has not been able to provide direct employment to skilled manpower in health sectors.

They especially referred to pharmacists, X-ray technicians, laboratory assistants and nurses.

The committee observed that the state produces many such skilled and semi-skilled people, who remain unemployed later.

“At the same time, common patients are deprived from their services, because individuals cannot grow in poor economic condition, like it is in our state.

“In such a situation it is only wise for the government to help the private skilled manpower to set up small establishments and provide health services at nominal cost,” the committee suggested.

Committee chairman Kalpataru Das said over the years, the state has purchased diagnostic equipment spending a large amount of public money. However most equipment remain unused at various places and the health department has no manpower to run them.

Das added that the action plan prepared by the government for the year 2005-06 and 2006-07 shows that the government is procuring diagnostic equipment and laboratory instruments in a large way.

“Procuring equipment without having the right manpower to operate will render the system ineffective,” he said.

Officials in the health department said that Orissa has been accepted as a focus state under the National Rural Health Mission programme.

Investment to the tune of crores is being made by the Centre for the past five years (since 2005-06).

The committee also recommended that private entrepreneurs be allowed to create infrastructures like nursing homes, ICUs and higher diagnostic testing facilities inside the premises of major medical institutions.

The state could provide the private entrepreneurs expertise through doctors and share the revenue.