Samiti to protest against incomplete hospital opening today

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Nov 19, 2017: The Save District Government Maternity and Children’s Hospital Committee has questioned the haste in the inauguration of the Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Memorial Haji Abdulla Maternity and Children’s Hospital.

Chief Minister Siddaramiah will inaugurate the hospital, today Nov 19, Sunday.

Addressing media Nov 18, Saturday, Yogish Shet, committee member, said that the District Government Maternity and Children’s Hospital has been rendering good service.

But the government in 2016, decided to allow the BRS Health and Research Institute, owned by B.R. Shetty, an NRI businessman, to construct a maternity and children’s hospital, a super-speciality hospital and an urban community health centre. These will come up on four acres of land where the Government Maternity and Children’s Hospital is located.

P.V. Bhandary, committee member, sought to know how funds from the super-specialty hospital would be used to cross-subsidise the Maternity and Children’s hospital.

“What is the hurry to inaugurate the hospital when its construction was not fully completed? Was it because the Model Code of Conduct would become effective in three months? How many medical and paramedical personnel appointed for the hospital?” he asked.

When the committee had already approached the courts on this issue, it was surprising that inauguration of the 200-bed hospital should be held, he said.