The Hindu : CM refutes report on Jayadeva institute

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 25, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

CM refutes report on Jayadeva institute

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore July 24. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, and the Minister for Medical Education, A.B. Maalakaraddy, reiterated in the Legislative Council today that the Government would make efforts to ensure that the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology remained a prestigious institute.

Defending the functioning of the super-speciality hospital, the Chief Minister said a report which appeared in an English daily that operations at the hospital had been affected, and patients were turned away for want of equipment and medicines, was not correct. The matter was raised by M.C. Nanaiah, senior leader of the All-India Progressive Janata Dal.

`Minister must quit'

Referring to the newspaper report, Mr. Nanaiah said drug suppliers had stopped supplies to the hospital as it had not paid bills to the tune of Rs. 6 crore. Besides, there was a shortage of catheters, stents, and pacemakers in the hospital. He charged the Medical Education Minister, who is the co-Chairman of the hospital, with having failed to ensure the proper functioning of the hospital, and sought his resignation from the post of co-Chairman.

L. Hanumanthaiah (Congress) said there were reports that the rate of success of operations at the hospital was not high, and that good doctors were leaving the hospital for lucrative posts elsewhere.

Defending his position, Mr. Maalakaraddy said the hospital mainly conducted elective operations, and on average, two operations were conducted daily.

The hospital was rendering service to the needy. The charge for angiogram was Rs. 2,000 compared with more than Rs. 10,000 in other heart care hospitals, he added.

Agreeing that the hospital, which was funded by the Union and State governments, faced paucity of funds, he hoped that increased government allocation would help the hospital improve service to society.

As for payment of suppliers' bills, he said he was in touch with the Finance Department, and hoped they would be cleared soon. However, he said it was "difficult to beat the system", and this affected not only the functioning of the hospital but also other aspects of administration.

Facilities promised

The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Kagodu Thimmappa, assured the members of the Legislative Assembly that steps would be taken immediately to provide all facilities, including equipment for surgery, at the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology.

He gave this assurance during Zero Hour to a matter raised by the BJP member from Rajajinagar, S. Suresh Kumar.

Mr. Kumar said that the only Government-run cardiology institute, which catered to patients from middle and lower middle classes in the State, was not functioning.

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