India, Aug. 30 -- The West Bengal government is exploring a partnership between private medical colleges and government-run block primary health centres (BPHCs) to improve rural healthcare infrastructure and services, while also providing medical students with greater exposure to patients, a minister said.

West Bengal Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee said the proposal was still at a preliminary stage and the government was examining ways for private medical colleges to work with the public healthcare system to strengthen facilities and services at the grassroots level.

"We will provide them with patients, and they provide us with infrastructure," Mukherjee said on Saturday evening, explaining the broad framework of the proposed arran...