Budget boosts Medical Education department
Victoria hospital to be renamed
Dr. Sharanprakash R. Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Livelihood and In-charge Minister of Raichur District has stated that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in presenting a record 17th budget, has prioritized all-round development — with a particularly notable emphasis on the healthcare sector.
Reacting to the budget presentation, the minister noted that CS, being an economic expert, has been generous in sanctioning grants for all sections of society and all sectors, in the spirit of the poetic ideal “let there be prosperity for all.” Dr. Patil extended special thanks to the CM for the generous allocations made to the medical education department.
The budget has made provisions to complete the following projects: a 450-bed multi-specialty hospital in Karwar at a cost of ₹198 crore; a trauma care centre in Raichur at ₹10 crore; and peripheral cancer centres in Mysuru and Tumakuru at a cost of ₹92 crore.
The minister further elaborated that the government’s vision of providing easy and accessible healthcare for all is being realized through: the inauguration of the Jayadeva regional cardiac centre building in Hubballi worth ₹236 crore; construction of a 1,000-bed charitable super specialty tertiary care and organ transplant hospital by the Azim Premji Foundation within the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bengaluru; a grant of ₹620 crore for construction of medical colleges, hospitals and super specialty hospitals; and ₹220 crore set aside for procurement of equipment.
The allocation of ₹1 crore each for establishing IVF centres at Vani Vilas Hospital in Bengaluru and Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Kalaburagi will ensure that healthcare benefits reach the Kalyana Karnataka region as well, he said.
Government Medical Colleges in Kolar and Vijayapura
The budget has made provisions for preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) for establishing government medical colleges in Vijayapura and Kolar districts. It is also noteworthy that super specialty hospitals have been planned in Karwar and Yadgiri at a cost of ₹100 crore each. Overall, Dr. Patil commended this budget as a “budget for all” — one whose announcements clearly demonstrate its inclusive and comprehensive character.
Tribute to Gopala Gowda
It has been decided to rename Bengaluru’s Victoria Hospital as “Shantaveri Gopala Gowda Hospital,” through which the government pays special tribute to socialist Shantaveri Gopala Gowda, said Dr. Patil. He also welcomed the allocation of ₹10 crore for the construction of a boys’ hostel at Bangalore Medical College.
