The healthcare sector in Karnataka received a boost as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in the budget presented on February 16, announced new projects for Mysuru, Kodagu, and Chamarajanagar districts. The new projects are expected to improve medical and patient care.
The budget has provision for an exclusive outpatient block in the premises of K.R. Hospital – a teaching hospital of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI) in Mysuru – in commemoration of the centenary celebrations of one of the oldest medical colleges in India.
This was one of the proposals submitted by the MMCRI as part of ‘centenary projects’. The college was established by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. As part of its 100th anniversary, the institute has been organising various activities, besides improving infrastructure as the previous government had allocated funds.
The Chief Minister has allocated ₹75 crore towards establishing a building in which the outpatient services of all departments will be housed. This will decongest the K.R. Hospital with the OPD services coming under one roof, and the space where the OP services were operated can be utilised for other facilities.
K.R. Hospital handles over 9 lakh outpatients annually, perhaps the highest by a State-run hospital in Karnataka. On an average, 6 lakh in-patients avail treatment annually in the hospital. Together, the MMCRI’s hospitals, including Cheluvamba and PKKTB, handle nearly 13.25 lakh patients. The patient load continues to be on the rise despite Mysuru getting a district hospital. On some days, the daily out-patient numbers cross 2,500. K.R. Hospital has 1,200 beds while Cheluvamba has 420, and PKTB has 370 beds.
Other projects for Mysuru
Mr. Siddaramaiah announced upgradation of the existing 40-bed Nephro Urology Hospital in Mysuru into a 100-bed hospital. In the present year, state-of-the-art critical care blocks will come up in Mysuru, Mandya, Udupi, Davangere, Vijayapura, Koppal and Dharwad districts at a total cost of ₹187 crore.
Projects for Chamarajanagar
For the 450-bed district hospital in Chamarajanagar – attached to the Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences — funds have been allocated for the purchase of medical equipment and furniture. In total, ₹150 crore has been allocated for this purpose for hospitals in Gadag, Koppal and Chamarajanagar districts.
As expected, Yelandur in Chamarajanagar will get a 100-bed taluk hospital. So will a few other newly-developed taluks in the State. The total sum allocated for this project is ₹280 crore. Elected representatives in Chamarajanagar had demanded improvement of healthcare services in the border district, and a hospital in Yelandur was one of the demands.
Projects for Kodagu
Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), a hi-tech lab service, will be established in Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). VRDL helps detection of harmful, contagious and viral infections.
A cardiac care unit will come up in Kodagu under the PPP model besides Integrated and Public Health Lab, and also in Mandya in 2025-26, to provide qualitative and affordable lab services.
