Maharashtra: No privatisation of Haffkine Institute; massive tech upgrade for ESI hospitals

Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Minister, Narhari Zirwal, on Friday in the state Assembly ruled out any plans to privatise the historic Haffkine Bio-Pharmaceutical Corporation and assured a comprehensive government-backed revival plan.

Minister Zirwal gave his assurance in his response to a question raised by Congress MLA Jyoti Gaikwad.

Senior legislators including Dilip Walse Patil, Vijay Wadettiwar, Atul Bhatkhalkar, and Yogesh Sagar joined the discussion, raising concerns over the institute’s current stagnation.

Minister Zirwal said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will soon chair a meeting with all key stakeholders to clear immediate development bottlenecks.

A full-time IAS officer will be appointed as the Managing Director to streamline administration.

He further stated that the comprehensive restructuring report submitted by the high-powered Dr R.A. Mashelkar Committee will be officially tabled before the House. A detailed funding proposal worth Rs 150 crore — previously sent to the Finance Department — is being resubmitted after rectifying administrative technicalities.

Ruling and Opposition parties in their submission said that despite its illustrious 100-plus-year history as a premier vaccine manufacturer, Haffkine completely halted its production of the DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus) vaccine in 2007 due to the lack of modernised manufacturing facilities.

To overcome this, the Mashelkar Committee has recommended a Rs 1,100-crore master plan to set up state-of-the-art infrastructure for five critical projects: Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), Pentavalent vaccine, tissue-culture anti-rabies vaccine, modernisation of the Pimpri anti-venom/serum facility, and bio-engineered blood clotting factors.

The committee recommended that the State contribute Rs 100 crore as equity, with the Central Government providing the rest. From this plan, Haffkine has currently sought a fast-tracked allocation of Rs 50 crore for the polio vaccine plant and Rs 100 crore for the Pimpri serum unit’s modernisation, said the department.

Further, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar in the state Legislative Council announced that the state is actively leveraging advanced medical technologies to make healthcare services faster, accessible, and high-quality across all Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) hospitals.

He replied to a question raised by MLC Manisha Kayande, alongside sub-questions from Bhai Jagtap, Prasad Lad, and Rajiv Potdar.

Minister Abitkar emphasised that labourers covered under the ESI scheme receive completely free medical treatment and urged public representatives to create wider awareness about these benefits.

Addressing medical procurement transparency, the Minister stated that procurement guidelines will strictly prioritise quality, and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) will be actively involved where necessary.

Meanwhile, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif informed the Legislative Council that the final decision regarding the permanent campus location of the Amravati Government Medical College hinges on environmental clearances from the Central Government.

Responding to a question brought forward by NCP MLA Sanjay Khodke and supported by Bachchu Kadu and Aniket Tatkare, Minister Mushrif clarified that while the state had selected and taken possession of a land parcel in Aliyabad, subsequent surveys revealed the site falls inside a protected forest zone.

The state cannot change the site location or look for remote alternatives, as National Medical Commission mandates that every government medical college must be linked to a minimum 500-bed hospital.

Since the state is committed to launching a medical college in every district, this premier institution will strictly remain within or in the immediate periphery of Amravati city, said the minister.

Minister Mushrif assured the House that administrative procedures were being expedited to clear the forest department hurdles, and local leadership meetings will be organised soon to temporarily address faculty and contractual staff requirements.

–IANS

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