File photo: ICU beds at Malleswaram’s KC General Hospital. Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Wednesday that a new trauma unit will be inaugurated at KC General Hospital, Malleswaram, in March.
The 50-bed trauma centre will serve North Bengaluru and nearby areas. It will have 14 High Dependency beds, 15 ICU beds and two operation theatres.
Another building is under construction for a blood bank and Diplomate of National Board (DNB) academic programmes. A maternity and child health wing will open in a new building by year-end, he added.
"We are addressing staff shortages and will appoint doctors on contract, if needed," he said.
The minister reviewed issues at the hospital and visited the Jayadeva Heart Unit, paediatric ICU and other departments to gather feedback from patients.
On the upcoming state budget, he said the state is facing economic challenges and losses due to GST. The central government is not approving new schemes.
He said pending funds for many schemes have not been released. Karnataka contributes a large share of the nation’s tax, yet the Centre is treating the state unfairly. "We are raising our voice, but there is no response from the Centre," he said.
He alleged the Centre had treated states unfairly on MGNREGA. The Centre's share was 90%, now reduced to 60%. "The scheme was introduced by the then Congress government for the benefit of the people, but in the past 11 years, the central government has not introduced any such scheme," he said.