Hospitals won't be shut down: Minister

Speaking to press persons on Saturday, the minister opined that the KSPCB had ordered for closure in haste. “It seems the board considered these hospitals as private hospitals and issued notices in a hurry,” he said.

The board had ordered for closure of nine hospitals for failing to set up bio-medical waste treatment plant. The board passed the order following a judgement by the Lok Adalat.

The ministry would reply to the board after holding a meeting with senior officers and appeal it to withdraw the closure orders.

The minister said the hospitals had been treating the liquid waste before releasing the same to the drainage. And, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board had given certificates for all the hospitals appreciating the liquid wastes treatment plants.

The department had also taken measures to set up bio-medical waste treatment plants. The tender process had already begun. Earlier the total expenditure was estimated around Rs 24 crore. “It is too much. I have asked the officials to prepare action plan of Rs 10 crore or Rs 11 crore,” he said.