Although the overall allocation for the health sector remained unchanged in the 2021-2022 Budget at 4% (₹11,908 crore) of the total Budget, a few proposals specific to Bengaluru had indicated that the State had made substantial investments in critical care.
Despite the economic despair created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus was on strengthening curative services, which according to experts is justified. However, a year on, many proposals have remained on paper.
One such instance is the budgetary proposal to set up two labs (one each in Bengaluru and Ballari) to detect hereditary metabolic disorders among neonates. State Health Commissioner D. Randeep said the file is pending with the Department of Commerce and Industries for release of district mineral funds for this project. “It will be pursued as an ongoing scheme this year,” he said.
To make primary healthcare more accessible to residents of all wards in Bengaluru, the Budget had proposed to set up BBMP Janarogya Centres through the Health Department in 57 wards at a cost of ₹10 crore. While this is still on paper, K.V. Trilok Chandra, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health), said the civic body had gone a step ahead to set up 243 health and wellness centres. “These centres are mini Primary Health Centres (PHCs) having all basic facilities. We already have 141 urban PHCs and 20 more are being set up. That apart 57 polyclinics where specialists’ services will be made available are also being set up,” he said.
He said a Metropolitan Surveillance unit, which will be a centralised nodal diagnostic lab to take care of all surveillance activities in the city, has also been planned. A place for this has been identified in Bommanahalli.
The BBMP has now requested for additional ASHA workers and programme officers for the city. “As per norms, we need 5,400 ASHAs but we have just 1,000 in the city. Besides, we need over 2,000 programme officers to run the various health programmes but we have only 200,” the official said.
Jayadeva Satellite Centre to be functional in July
The only project that is likely to be commissioned in the next four months is a 50-bed satellite centre of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at K.C. General Hospital.
The project was proposed at an expenditure of ₹20 crore to reduce the pressure on Jayadeva Institute and provide timely cardiac care to patients in the central business district. Institute director C.N. Manjunath said 50% of work on construction of a building for the facility has been completed. “The civil works are likely to be completed by May end and the facility will become functional by July. Besides OPD services, the facility will have ICU and cardiac cathlab services too. This project is being set up on a Equip, Operate and Manage (EOM) model wherein Jayadeva will run the facility with its manpower and equipment. All expenses, except that being spent on the building, will be borne through our internal resources,” Dr. Manjunath said.
With the lack of primary healthcare services for the poor and migrant workers in urban areas, the State Budget had proposed to set up a new multi-speciality hospital in North Bengaluru area. This was to provide modern and specialist medical services to the poor and migrant workers in Bengaluru. The foundation stone for this 250-bed hospital in Mahadevapura zone was laid last week by Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai. Officials said the project will be completed in 18 months.
