Full-fledged cancer hospitals in Mandya, Gulbarga

 The State government has proposed to upgrade cancer centres at the divisional level in a bid to reduce the pressure on Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bangalore, Minister of State for Medical Education Dr Sharan Prakash Patil said on Friday. 

Speaking to reporters, Patil said peripheral cancer centres in Mandya and Gulbarga would be upgraded to full-fledged hospitals. The Centre has released Rs 45 crore for the Mandya cancer centre and the State government has chipped in 25 per cent as its share, the minister said. 

Patil added that the government had written to the Centre to allot grants for upgrading the Gulbarga cancer centre. 

The State has already earmarked Rs 10 crore to upgrade the centre. 

The Centre has also allotted Rs 125 crore for improving the infrastructure at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. Patil said he had recently visited the hospital as a common man without any escort. 

Patients had complained about delays in getting CT scan and radiation therapy. Upgrading medical infrastructure will help address the grievance, he said. 

Replying to a query, the minister said suppliers of inferior quality medicines would be blacklisted.