The Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital now has new healthcare facilities. This includes a 10-bed Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), 14-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a malnutrition ward and a dialysis unit.
The facilities were inaugurated by Minister for Medical Education S.A. Ramdas here on Tuesday. Speaking later, the Minister said the government had earmarked Rs. 118 crore to upgrade Bowring, Vani Vilas and Victoria hospitals.
“Now, government hospitals offer hi-tech treatment. The Bowring Hospital is one of the finest healthcare institutions in the country and is currently ranked seven. We are striving to bring all our institutions to the top level.”
He said the government has proposed to open malnutrition wards in all its hospitals. The ward at Bowring Hospital is equipped with a medical team consisting of a medical officer, dietician, medico-social worker, kitchen and staff nurses.
Medical colleges
Mr. Ramdas said the government had secured the Centre’s nod to start eight new medical colleges in the State. While seven will start functioning in the next academic year, the one in Chikmagalur will start only in 2014-15. “With these medical college and hospitals in place in the districts, the number of people coming to Bangalore for treatment will come down.”
Stating that there was no staff shortage, the Minister said the government had increased the number of MBBS and PG seats.
He said that with the government offering AICTE scale salary to medical teachers, there were many doctors who were eager to join the Department of Medical Education as faculty in the medical colleges.
Shivajinagar MLA Roshan Baig urged the Minister to provide another 10 dialysis machines to the hospital, besides establishing a burns unit there.
“The only other burns unit is in Victoria Hospital. There is a dire need for another burns unit in the city,” he said.
Mr. Ramdas assured the MLA of sanctioning another 10 dialysis machines.
O.S. Siddappa, Dean and Director of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, welcomed the gathering. K.H. Govindaraj, secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare; H. Satish Chandra, Superintendent, Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital; S. Rajanna, Resident Medical Officer, Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital; Some Gowda, Superintendent, Vani Vilas Hospital; Shivaprasad Reddy, Superintendent, Minto Ophthalmic Hospital; and M. Gopi, Sampangiramanagar councillor, were present.
