Renowned psychiatrist and activist P.V. Bhandary on Friday, March 15, flayed the move by the State government to allow a private body to run the 200-bed Kosamma Shambhu Shetty Memorial Haji Abdullah Government Mother and Child Hospital in Udupi.
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Talking to reporters in Udupi, Dr. Bhandary said earlier in 2017, this hospital was run under the PPP model by BRS Ventures of business tycoon B.R. Shetty. Due to financial constraints, the private firm failed to run the hospital. There was no proper memorandum of understanding between the private firm and the government, and the firm failed to pay salaries to the health staff properly. Following protests, the State government decided to take back the hospital from BRS Ventures in March 2022.
Having failed in the first attempt, Dr. Bhandary said the State government is again working towards handing over the hospital to another private entity. Citing financial constraints in running the hospital, the State government is considering allowing another private entity to run the hospital on the PPP mode and also start a government medical college.
Decrying the move by the State government, Dr. Bhandary said the proposed medical college would not help poor meritorious students to join the institution. The government can release ₹150 crores every year for four years and realise the long-felt need for the Government Medical College in Udupi. It is a lack of political will that has deprived Udupi residents of Government Medical College.
Dr. Bhandary said there will be a legal battle if the government goes ahead to hand over the government hospital to the another private entity.