Friday, June 30 2006 10:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jaipur: Rajasthan is to unveil an ambitious roadmap to boost medical education and medical tourism but there's a catch investors will have to cough up at least Rs.50 million (a million dollars) to take advantage of the scheme.

Education Minister Ghanshyam Tiwari will unveil the Policy to Promote Private Investment in Health Care Facilities 2006 at the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) conference in New York July 1-4.

Tiwari told sources that special emphasis would be laid on promoting and developing the concept of medical tourism, as also the level of medical education in the state.

For this, land would be provided at special prices to all new private medical institutions, including medical and dental colleges, diagnosis centres, blood banks, and nursing and paramedical training institutes.

The policy will also boost other medical streams like ayurveda, homoeopathy and naturopathy. A 'land bank' will be created to give land to medical institutions that are promoting and practising alternative medical therapies.

To benefit from the policy, nursing and paramedical institutions will have to make an investment of at least Rs.50 million.

Similarly, nursing homes and 15-bed hospitals planning a facility within 50 km from regional headquarters or 20 km from district headquarters or in a village or town with a population of less than 50,000 will have to invest at least Rs.5 million.

Investors will also have to abide by environment protection rules for hospital waste disposal and follow the rules and regulations set by the committee of standards.

The policy also provides for better medical facilities for those living below the poverty line (BPL).

Medical establishments will have to reserve 10 percent of their beds for BPL families and provide services and medicines at discounted prices.