Tuesday, May 28, 2002
Tuesday, May 28, 2002 |
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Karnataka
By Our Staff Reporter
The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, A.B. Maalakaraddy said the Government had done its best despite a funds crunch and plenty of negative criticism. "Recently, the Government of India granted Rs. three crore to assess a proposed Health, Nutrition, and Population programme. The private agencies entrusted with the work will complete it in a year." The Centre's final approval and World Bank funds would soon follow, he said. There was also the Karnataka Health Systems Development Programme (KHSDP) for upgrading secondary health care centres with World Bank funds. Punjab and West Bengal had started the project earlier, but Karnataka would finish first. The Vani Vilas Hospital was renovated under the KHSDP because the State Government did not have money to repair old hospitals, he said. Though there were many `doubting Thomases', the health sector was progressing well, and the World Bank team had recently given the department a "highly satisfactory certificate", he said. The recent war of words with the Lokayukta, N. Venkatachala, was regrettable as the "real issue is being clouded". Being a doctor himself and the minister in charge of Health, he had the authority to speak on behalf of the medical community. "Now it is a fashion to run down the Government," he said. Criticism had to be positive. "We can discuss and debate because the Government has the humility to learn. Never wash dirty linen in public," he said. That did not mean the medical community could rest easy. The Government provided infrastructure, but they had to work responsibly. Dr. Maalakaraddy also wanted to change the system of funds allocation for States/departments. The Centre's negligible allocations were released erratically. "In the West, ministers get the total allotted amount and are held responsible for using it well. That cannot happen here because there is no one person who is accountable," he stressed. The Minister of State for Medical Education and Higher Education, G. Parameshwar, added that government medical staff had to stop consulting/working for private nursing homes. To improve things, the State Government was encouraging telemedicine in a big way, he said. He ended by asking the Union Minister for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Ananth Kumar, how much money the Centre had granted Karnataka. Though there were quite a few ministers from the State at the Centre, the Union Government had rejected many State projects. "Vani Vilas Hospital needs a radiology department, blood bank, and a canteen. We will build the canteen, why can't you or the Centre fund the other two?'' he asked Mr. Kumar. Mr. Kumar immediately replied that the project would cost Rs. 30 lakh. He would provide Rs. 15 lakh from his MP's discretionary fund. The State Government could give the remainder, he said. He also spoke about the funds he had provided for Bangalore. He had provide Rs. one crore for hospitals such as Victoria, NIMHANS, Kidwai, Jayadeva, and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Child Health. Recently, he granted Rs. 12 lakh to K.C. General Hospital, he added. The Vani Vilas Hospital was built in 1935 for Rs. four lakh. Its renovation cost Rs. 4.2 crore.
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