HYDERABAD: Formally ending its partnership with Ramalinga Raju-founded Health Management and Research Institute (HMRI), the state government issued a GO on Friday evening terminating its contract with HMRI with effect from September 1. It also directed state health authorities to issue a notice to HMRI for termination of contract. HMRI has been managing the health information helpline '104 Advice' for the last four years.
The ending of this partnership means that the organisation HMRI will no longer be in the picture from September 1, during which time the government will be looking for another private partner to run the services which were until now executed by HMRI. Also, the brand HMRI will be dropped from all the services offered, which until now carried this name as a suffix.
The government's MoU with HMRI dated February 2, 2009 required a notice of three months for withdrawal from the agreement, which the government would be serving.
As per the GO issued on June 24, the government has directed the commissioner of health and family welfare to immediately launch the process for sourcing a competitive service provider for 104 health information helpline, fixed day health service fleet management and data management.
In December 2010, the government had taken over '104' from HMRI following a protracted strike by the HMRI staff and expressed its unhappiness with the way it was functioning. There were also allegations of misappropriation of funds. Subsequently, the operation of the fixed day health services were brought under the control of the district collectors. But the state-run '104 Advice', the health information helpline, continued to be operated by HMRI.
Ever since, talks about the complete ouster of the private partner started doing the rounds. After the partial takeover of the fixed day health service, the GO 1175 issued on June 24 withdrawing the 104 helpline services marked the complete takeover of healthcare initiatives from HMRI.
The 104 health advice helpline gets 25,000-30,000 calls on an average daily.
Welcoming the government order, the 1,100-strong 104 contract employees association joint secretary K Bhasker Reddy said that due to the uncertainty, at least 100 staffers have resigned in the last two months. "Government has orally assured us that our jobs would not be affected in the new arrangement. However, if the promise is not met, we will go on strike," Bhasker Reddy warned.
As reported in: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-26/hyderabad/29706047_1_hmri-health-management-helpline
The ending of this partnership means that the organisation HMRI will no longer be in the picture from September 1, during which time the government will be looking for another private partner to run the services which were until now executed by HMRI. Also, the brand HMRI will be dropped from all the services offered, which until now carried this name as a suffix.
The government's MoU with HMRI dated February 2, 2009 required a notice of three months for withdrawal from the agreement, which the government would be serving.
As per the GO issued on June 24, the government has directed the commissioner of health and family welfare to immediately launch the process for sourcing a competitive service provider for 104 health information helpline, fixed day health service fleet management and data management.
In December 2010, the government had taken over '104' from HMRI following a protracted strike by the HMRI staff and expressed its unhappiness with the way it was functioning. There were also allegations of misappropriation of funds. Subsequently, the operation of the fixed day health services were brought under the control of the district collectors. But the state-run '104 Advice', the health information helpline, continued to be operated by HMRI.
Ever since, talks about the complete ouster of the private partner started doing the rounds. After the partial takeover of the fixed day health service, the GO 1175 issued on June 24 withdrawing the 104 helpline services marked the complete takeover of healthcare initiatives from HMRI.
The 104 health advice helpline gets 25,000-30,000 calls on an average daily.
Welcoming the government order, the 1,100-strong 104 contract employees association joint secretary K Bhasker Reddy said that due to the uncertainty, at least 100 staffers have resigned in the last two months. "Government has orally assured us that our jobs would not be affected in the new arrangement. However, if the promise is not met, we will go on strike," Bhasker Reddy warned.
As reported in: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-26/hyderabad/29706047_1_hmri-health-management-helpline