JAIPUR: The Centre is considering creating an All India Medical Service like the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service , under the All India Service Act, 1951. A letter has gone out to all chief secretaries of the states and union territories to “offer your views on this issue so as to enable the ministry to firm up its proposal”. This letter, from CK Mishra, secretary of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, was dated June 9.The hope is that the All India service would offer doctors better understanding of the health issues in the different states, as doctors in the Central Health Service monitor various programmes, but have little experience of the ground reality in different states.Health is a state subject under the Constitution, although the Centre sponsors several health schemes.This move for an All India Service did not feature in the National Health Policy unveiled in March this year, which advocates optimum utilization of existing manpower and infrastructure and collaboration with the non-government sector. Niti Aayog has sought the responses of all chief secretaries to a proposed policy to allow private players to offer treatment for non-communicable diseases like cancer and ailments of the heart in government hospitals.The proposal is to allow all government hospitals with 300 beds or more to sign a 30-year contract so that a private player can install equipment needed for the treatment of non-communicable diseases. At least 50 beds would be set aside for such patients who avail the facilities offered by the private player at subsidized rates.Doctors who have served to frame health policy, however, are not enthused. Dr Narendra Gupta of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan said the experience of private-public partnership has not been very promising, so the thrust for even more such partnerships was difficult to understand.