Bengaluru: In a first, the BBMP is planning to open a medical college inside the Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji Multispeciality Hospital in MC Layout in Govindarajanagar, built at Rs 106 crore.
Senior Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials insisted that the proposal is in the nascent stage, and they are studying its feasibility.
"We are confident that the facility will be able to meet the requirements to set up a medical college. However, we will conduct a feasibility study and come up with an implementation plan," BBMP Special Commissioner (Health) Suralkar Vikas Kishore said, adding that the 300-bed facility already satisfies the bed-capacity requirement.
BBMP sources said officials have requested a Rs 500-crore budget allocation for the medical college in the upcoming budget.
Senior BBMP officials expect the new medical college to solve the shortage of doctors. Despite having advanced facilities, the hospital is woefully short of medical staff, which has rendered many of the services non-operational.
"The medical college will also mean that we have more manpower. This way, we can improve our bandwidth and serve patients efficiently," a senior BBMP official said.
Inaugurated in February 2023, the hospital boasts of state-of-the-art facilities in laboratories, radiology, pediatrics care, chemotherapy, blood storage, orthopedics, dental services, ophthalmology, and maternity care. It also houses an emergency department, a pharmacy, and a minor operation theatre.
The BBMP’s health wing has also proposed to convert the referral hospitals, maternity homes, and new general hospitals in its jurisdiction into e-hospitals to provide online services like appointment bookings and access to lab reports. The health wing has requested Rs 8 crore to implement the proposal.
Published 31 January 2024, 23:45 IST