|
Karnataka government has embarked on a bed expansion for cardiology and paediatric care as it opens up sub-centres within the state-owned KC General Hospital through Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health. These are a 20-bed ICU facility with ventilator for 100 beds, oxygen pipeline connection for all the beds, increase in oxygen storage capacity from 3 kilo litres (KL) to 18 KL and bed side monitor installed for 300 beds.
The objective is that state government intends to develop the 500-bed KC General hospital on similar lines that of the oldest 1,000 bedded Victoria Hospital, said the Karnataka chief minister Basavaraja Bommai to provide better health services to the ever increasing population in the city. The government would be soon to setting up a 200 bedded Maternal and Child Health and a 50 bedded trauma care centre with the KC General campus.
Considerable priority will be given by the government to public health, said chief minister Bommai noting that four multi- speciality hospitals would across the Bengaluru besides 438 Namma Clinics to begin operations by December 15 across Karnataka. Of these 243 Namma Clinics will be within Bengaluru. Each Namma clinic will be equipped with a doctor, nurse, lab technician and a group D employee. The appointment of 160 doctors and remaining staff are already completed for the 243 Namma Clinics in Bengaluru, said Karnataka health minister Dr K Sudhakar.
The Namma Clinics are being established in government buildings and rented buildings which have an area of 1000-1200 sq.ft. The government will incur an annual cost of Rs. 138 crore to maintain the staff. We have also incurred a non recurring cost of Rs. 17.52 crore to establish the Namma Clinics. Totally, we have incurred a cost of Rs.155 crore as of now. These Namma Clinics will also create awareness about Yoga, Pranayama, meditation and food habits, said minister Sudhakar.
As per the guidelines, primary health centres in accordance with the population exist in rural areas. However, there is a shortfall of government healthcare centers in urban areas to cater to the population. We have sanctioned additional Namma Clinics so as to ensure one clinic per ward in case of expansion, he said.
The Clinics will cater to the health of the urban poor, especially people falling below the poverty line and those residing in huts. It will also focus on creating awareness about government healthcare schemes.
The state also needs to upgrade its primary health centres, community health centres and tertiary care facilities. Further in a bid to support the loss of hearing in the poor population, the state has set aside Rs. 500 crore. This is to provide cochlear implantation free of cost for the poor and establish oncology treatment centres at 12 locations in the state. Efforts are made to ensure that the number of dialysis cycles per day in the state has been increased from 30,000 to 60,000 he added.
|