MLA objects to shifting old beds, cots to new district hospital

Criticising the government’s move to shift the Udupi Taluk Hospital to the new Udupi District Hospital building, Udupi MLA Yashpal A. Suvarna said it was unfortunate that old beds and cots from the taluk hospital were being shifted to the new district hospital building.

Talking to reporters after visiting the new building, the MLA said preparations were under way to shift the 120-bed Udupi Taluk Hospital to the new district hospital building without providing any additional infrastructure or facilities, and merely by shifting the existing beds and cots in their present condition to the new premises.

Without sanctioning the required staff and infrastructure, the government was moving in a hurried manner to shift the taluk hospital to the new six-floor district hospital building, he alleged. The government was yet to sanction surgeons, technical assistants and other staff for the 250-bed facility. It had also not sanctioned funds for procuring scanning machines, X-ray machines, furniture, computers and other essential items for the new building. Housekeeping staff had not yet been appointed. Merely shifting the taluk hospital to the new building would not ensure quality healthcare services for patients at the district hospital, he said.

For the last three years, he said, he had been fighting for the improvement of health services at the district and taluk hospitals. The present Health Minister, U.T. Khader, and Udupi District in-charge Minister Rizwan Arshad had refused to act on the letters written by him in this regard. The move to shift the taluk hospital to the new building was being carried out without keeping him informed, the Udupi MLA lamented.