Upgraded Gosha Hospital to cater to east Bangalore

To be equipped with ICU, neo-natal ICU in makeover

Karnataka: Bangalore:24/11/2012: Minister for Health and Family Welfare Arvind Limbavali talking to public during the inspection of Government Hajee Sir Ismail Sait Gosha Hospital at Shivajinagar in connection with renovation of the building on 24,11,2012. Photo: V Sreenivasa Murthy

The 120-bed Hajee Sir Ismail Sait (HSIS) Gosha Hospital will soon become a maternity referral hospital for east Bangalore and the 87-year-old facility is being upgraded at a cost of Rs.12 crore in a phased manner.

Inspecting the construction work on Saturday, Health Minister Aravind Limbavali told media persons the hospital was being given a facelift with funds from the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). “Although the initial plan is to construct a 150-bed hospital, we will expand it to 250 beds based on the requirement.”

Modern facilities

Work on upgrading the hospital started in April 2012 and is likely to be completed by the end of next year. “It might take another year after that for the 250-bed hospital to be ready. The facility will be equipped with modern facilities including intensive care unit (ICU) and neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU).

Although the hospital was built by Sir Ismail in 1925 to cater to the Muslim women of Shivajinagar and surrounding areas while protecting their social customs, lack of ICU and NICU forced the women to seek the facilities in other hospitals.

According to the doctors, more than 80 deliveries are conducted at the hospital every month. “Of these, some 30 babies require NICU facilities. As we don’t have this facility, we refer them to the nearby Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital. The hospital did not have ventilators till recently, so the patients were referred to Vani Vilas Hospital,” a senior doctor said.

Corruption

Although some of the patients whom the Minister interacted with during the inspection denied they had to pay bribes to get proper facilities, others, on condition of anonymity, said the junior staff, including paramedics and housekeeping personnel, demanded money. When this was pointed out to the Minister, he said a helpdesk to attend to patients’ grievances will be set up at the hospital.

Unique architecture

Responding to Shivajinagar MLA R. Roshan Baig’s request, the Minister announced that the hospital’s unique façade would be retained even after it is upgraded.