Wenlock will be upgraded as regional hospital: Minister

To be made autonomous; super speciality services on cards

In what may boost health services for poor and economically weaker sections, the state government has decided to upgrade the District Wenlock Hospital as a regional hospital, providing super speciality services in four years down the line.

Announcing this to reporters on Friday here, Minister for Health and Family Welfare K R Ramesh Kumar said, “As the good old Wenlock Hospital receives patients from seven to eight districts, besides from neighbouring Kerala, it has been decided to upgrade the hospital as a regional hospital. In addition to this, it will be made autonomous on the lines of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research Centre in Bengaluru, to make it a super speciality hospital.”

Renewal of MoU
The minister said that it has also been decided to renew the existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kasturba Medical College (KMC) that is set to end soon. The authorities at Kasturba College have expressed their willingness to renew the MoU, agreeing to the condition of the government that they have to create infrastructure for a speciality hospital.

It requires not less than Rs 120 crore to Rs 130 crore to build a super speciality hospital and the KMC has agreed to invest money. According to the demand, they will have to build a lakh square foot building for surgical services in first phase, followed by restoration of services and renovation of existing wings in the later stages that may take another four years, he said.

Replying to a query over KMC reneging on the conditions earlier, the minister said, “The Law Department will vet any such complaints before taking a final call on continuing with the MoU, as the government has sought a month’s time to arrive at a consensus.” Regarding child care centre, the minister said, “It will be upgraded as regional institute on the lines of Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health in Bengaluru (formerly Victoria Hospital).”

Additional funds
Taking cognisance of long-pending demands at Lady Goschen Hospital, Ramesh Kumar said, “It has been decided to sanction Rs 10 crore in addition to Rs 21 crore being spent by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) on 500 beds maternity care and health building at the hospital, under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. The building will be in inaugurated on March 23, 2017, on the birth anniversary of socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia.”

The other decisions include inclusion of proposed 126-bed new building at Wenlock Hospital estimated to cost Rs 9.70 crore under National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) project and release of Rs 5 crore towards restoration of old building that dates back to Tipu Sultan’s period at the same hospital. The total cost is estimated at Rs 18.20 crore and the remaining funds will be released in the coming years, he said.

Earlier in the day, the minister presided over a review meeting. District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai, Government Whip in the Legislative Council Ivan D’Souza, MLAs J R Lobo and Mohiuddin Bawa, Dr Shalini Rajneesh Goel, principal secretary, department of Health and Family Welfare, and Director Dr Nataraj participated in the meeting.