mangalore today

165-year-old Wenlock Hospital in the city to be revamped with budget funds


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Mar 16, 2017: Is it a budget boon with an eye on elections? Any way, the long cherished dream of authorities here to develop the 165-year-old District Government Wenlock Hospital as a "Regional centre’" to cater to public from neighboring districts received a boost with CM Siddaramaiah announcing that the hospital would be upgraded at a cost of Rs 10 crore and a regional upgraded state-of-the-art pediatric health institute will be established in the very same hospital at a cost of Rs 3 crore.

Wenlock Hospit...District surgeon H R Rajeshwari Devi is reported to have said that a proposal sent  to the state government through health minister to upgrade the hospital to regional hospital as it was catering to eight to ten districts like Shivamogga, Davangere, Gadag and others nearby for tertiary care. We had pointed out the existing infrastructure was not enough to cater to such numbers unless infrastructure was upgraded.


Regarding the upgradation, Dr Rajeshwari said that at least Rs 18.5 crore was sought to restore and repair the 165-year-old building and Rs 3 crore annually for the Regional Advanced Pediatric Care Centre (RAPCC), attached to the hospital for equipment and maintenance. To develop the 200-bed RAPCC as Child Health Institute on the lines Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bengaluru,  she added the government had sanctioned Rs 5 crore for Wenlock Hospital repairs.


Health minister K R Ramesh Kumar, when he had visited Wenlock recently, had also endorsed the view of the authorities saying the major government hospital that offers free treatment to patients from more than 10 districts needs to be upgraded by providing more infrastructure and introducing specialty wings.


Apart from what CM announced, the government has already sanctioned Rs 9.70 crore under Nabard Scheme to construct a three storied building for a 126 bed block for Wenlock Hospital here in Mangaluru.