N.S. Bhosaraju, Kodagu District In-charge Minister, in association with the Medical Education Department and the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, recently laid the foundation stone for the second phase of the 450-bed capacity teaching hospital building at the Institute.Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has given great emphasis to education and health. He stressed that since poor people depend more on government hospitals, it is the responsibility of doctors to provide them with quality healthcare services.
He stated that the two Kodagu MLAs had worked hard to upgrade the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences and that efforts must continue to ensure that healthcare services reach every department of the Institute. When health services are delivered to common people on time, the government earns goodwill, and therefore health services must be made accessible to all. He further noted that the Medical Education Department is committed to providing the necessary infrastructure for the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences. The Minister also informed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has sanctioned Rs. 1,250 crore for the educationally backward Kalyan Karnataka division.
A.S. Ponnanna, MLA and Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor, said that residents of the district had been requesting a super-speciality hospital for many years, which has now been fulfilled. He added that with everyone’s efforts, development works are progressing well in Kodagu and that health facilities must reach the common people.
Dr. Mantar Gowda, Madikeri MLA, speaking on the occasion, said that it is the responsibility of people’s representatives to provide basic facilities to the Institute, and it is the duty of doctors to provide timely health services to patients. He urged doctors to treat patients with dedication, as this would significantly improve health outcomes.
Dr. Gowda added that efforts have been made to provide facilities to various departments, including the MRI scanning unit, and said that the Institute should be upgraded further. He assured that basic facilities would also be provided to the cardiology department, along with the appointment of permanent doctors.He said that the upgrading work would be completed within 18 months and advised that it be carried out with quality and environmental responsibility.
Dr. Gowda further announced that an additional Rs. 20 crore would be allocated for the development of the Institute and that steps would be taken to establish a critical care centre. The event was attended by Municipal Council President P. Kalavathi, District Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee Chairman T.M. Dharmaja Uthappa, former MLC Veena Acchaiah, Madikeri Urban Development Authority President Rajesh Yallappa, City Municipal Council Vice-President Mahesh Jaini, Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja, Zilla Panchayat CEO Anand Prakash Meena, Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan, Dean and Director of the Institute Dr. A.J. Lokesh, and doctors Dr. Vishal Kumar, Dr. Nanjundaiah, Dr. Sathish, and Dr. Somashekhar.
