Rusty, Old Hospital Beds Being Shifted to New District Hospital: MLA Yashpal Suvarna Slams State Government
Udupi: Udupi MLA Yashpal A. Suvarna has accused the state government of putting people’s health and lives at risk by shifting the existing taluk hospital to the new district hospital building in Ajjarkad without providing the necessary infrastructure, medical equipment, doctors, and other staff.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Suvarna said the six-storey, 250-bed district hospital had neither been equipped in accordance with the original Detailed Project Report (DPR) nor brought up to the standards of district hospitals elsewhere in Karnataka. He criticised the government for proceeding with the relocation despite the absence of essential facilities.
He alleged that the government had not sanctioned the required posts for doctors, nurses, technical personnel and other staff. Essential medical equipment, including scanning and X-ray machines, as well as furniture, computers, printers and cleaning equipment, had also not been provided. He added that adequate sanitation staff had not been appointed to maintain the six-storey building.
The existing 120-bed taluk hospital in Udupi is being prepared for relocation to the new building without any additional facilities. Suvarna expressed concern that the same 120 beds, which are around 30 years old and rusty, were being shifted to the new hospital.
“Shifting the hospital without providing essential medical facilities would amount to nothing more than changing the building. Patients would still not receive the services expected from a fully equipped district hospital,” he said.
Suvarna said he had repeatedly raised the issue during Legislative Assembly sessions over the past three years, but the government had failed to release the necessary funds. He alleged that several representations had been submitted to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, former Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, current Health Minister U.T. Khader, former district in-charge minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, current district in-charge minister Rizwan Arshad and the concerned officials. However, no effective action had been taken, he claimed.
He further alleged that the new district hospital had not been sanctioned the specialist departments available in other district hospitals. Inaugurating the facility without the necessary infrastructure and medical services would disappoint people who had waited for decades for a well-equipped district hospital, he said.
The lack of facilities would also make it difficult for doctors to provide adequate treatment and could cause serious hardships for patients, he added.
The MLA also objected to the decision to relocate the hospital without consulting local elected representatives or taking them into confidence. He accused the state government of repeatedly neglecting Udupi district, even in matters concerning essential healthcare and the protection of lives.
Pointing out that Udupi district had completed 28 years since its formation, Suvarna said the long-standing demand for a fully equipped district hospital must be fulfilled without further delay.
He demanded that the government appoint the required doctors, nurses, technical personnel, and other staff for the 250-bed facility and provide modern medical equipment, beds, essential supplies, and complete infrastructure before opening it to the public.
Suvarna said he had sought clarification from Health Minister U.T. Khader regarding the shifting of old equipment and other materials to the new hospital. According to the MLA, the minister had stated that he was unaware of the relocation and would immediately obtain the details before taking appropriate action.
Suvarna demanded that the minister visit Udupi within a week and convene a meeting with all MLAs from the district and the concerned officials to discuss the new hospital and find an appropriate solution.
He warned that if the issue remained unresolved, he would join members of the public in staging an overnight sit-in protest.
Former Udupi City Municipal Council president Prabhakar Poojary, former Zilla Panchayat president Dinakar Babu and Udupi City BJP president Dinesh Amin were present at the press conference.
