VP bats for opening up pvt sector in medical education

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today batted for "opening up" the private sector in medical education, but stressed the need for regulation to ensure transparency, accountability and quality.

He said while the system was expanding and the government as well as the private sector was focusing on increasing the number of medical colleges, "the essential question we need to ask ourselves is about the quality of medical education."
"I feel the time has come that we should open up. We have already opened up. We have to open up further to the private sector. Let there be a competition between private sector and public sector," he said in his address at the convocation of Tamilnadu Dr MGR Medical University,
Striking a note of caution to authorities, he, however said "regulation should not become strangulation."
The Vice-President expressed happiness over the Tamil Nadu Assembly recently approving the setting up of two more private universities in the state, saying "that is the need of the hour."
"That being the case, there should be public-private partnership and we must encourage well-meaning people enter into the educational field and also medical field."
"I am not saying be there in the rural areas alone. It should be mandated that before the first promotion, for three years, all doctors should work in the rural areas."