B. Sriramulu, Health and Family Welfare Minister, said on Saturday that he would decide on the issue of having government doctors and other staff at the Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Memorial Haji Abdulla Government Maternity Hospital here within a fortnight.
Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Sriramulu said the MLA of Udupi, K. Raghupati Bhat, wanted a government unit at the Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Government Maternity Hospital built on a PPP model.
He would call both Mr. Bhat and representatives of the hospital, which was also a part of the BRS Group in Bengaluru and hold detailed discussions on it and take an appropriate decision within a fortnight, he said.
Mr. Sriramulu said he would take a decision soon to do away with the provision of getting a referral letter from a government hospital to private superspecialty hospital for treatment at the latter for heart problems, nephrology, cancer, neurology and neurosurgery, under the Ayushman Bharat – Arogya Karnataka schemes. This would enable the patients to straight away seek treatment at the superspecialty hospital, he said.
Earlier at a meeting held at the hospital chaired by Mr. Sriramulu, Mr. Bhat said since it was a government maternity hospital, it should have a government unit of doctors and staff.
Gitanjali Suvarna, Zilla Panchayat member, said elected representatives would get better response from government doctors. The elected representatives did not get the respect from the present set-up neither did the District Surgeon or District Health Officer, she said.
Earlier, Mr. Sriramulu distributed spectacles and certificates of eye donation at a function organized by Parivar Samudaya Trust held at Prasad Netralaya, here. Later, he distributed Arogya Suraksha Cards to beneficiaries at a function organized by the G. Shankar Trust and Manipal Academy of Higher Education here.
Mr. Sriramulu also participated in the handing-over ceremony of the 150-bed Late Lakshmi Soma Bangera Maternity Hospital constructed at the Government Hospital in Kundapur by the G. Shankar Family Trust.
Replying to a query by presspersons, Mr. Sriramulu said that he would give his opinion on carving out a separate district of Vijayanagara from the existing Ballari district to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. He had not formed a personal opinion on it. He would discuss the matter with the MLA, Somashekhar Reddy also, he said.
