The primary health centre (PHC) in Hanur taluk headquarters will be, finally, upgraded into a general hospital and two advanced ventilator-supported ambulances will be sanctioned to M.M. Hills and Chamarajanagar.
Following the tragedy at Kicchugatti Maramma temple, the government has woken up to the lack of health facilities in this backward pocket. The patients on Friday were taken to a private healthcare facility in Kamagere.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shivananda Patil blamed the poor condition of rural healthcare, among other things, to reluctance of doctors to work in such places. “The government is upgrading rural public health infrastructure, but the problem lies with the doctors and specialists who are reluctant to work in villages,” he told The Hindu . He admitted that the incident is a “wake up call” on the need for expanding healthcare. “We are ready to expand the facilities with CT scan, MRI scan, ventilators, dialysis units and so on in taluk hospitals. But we need a nephrologist, anaesthetist, radiologist, and so on,” he said.
On the issue over bringing ‘prasada’ under the ambit of Food Safety and Standards Act, Mr. Patil said: “It is a sensitive issue and also practically not easy for putting in place the FSSAI regulations. But the issue will be given a thought, perhaps taking up some drives to educate the masses on the safety of food they consume in public places.”
