Date:24/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/24/stories/2005062418250300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Rs. 2 cr. for heart unit in Victoria Hospital

Staff Reporter

The Government has sent a proposal to the Centre seeking Rs. 150 crores for upgrading the Victoria Hospital and the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital

BANGALORE: The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, said on Thursday that the Victoria Hospital needs an "emergency heart unit" to cater to the poor cardiac patients. He said the Government will release Rs. 2 crores for such a unit at the hospital.

Mr. Dharam Singh was reacting to a request made by the Chamarajpet MLA, Zameer Ahmed Khan, in this regard.

He said even though Rs. 5 crore is the estimated cost of the project, the Government can give Rs. 2 crores at this stage.

He was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Infosys Foundation-funded central laboratory to come up at the Victoria Hospital. The laboratory is one of the many projects taken up at the hospital as part of the golden jubilee of the Bangalore Medical College, which is affiliated to it.

The Chief Minister said there is a need to upgrade the government hospitals in the city. The Government has sent a proposal to the Centre seeking Rs. 150 crores for upgrading the Victoria Hospital and the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital.

He lauded the efforts of the Infosys Foundation and its chairperson, Sudha Murthy, for funding a number of projects in the field of health and education. Iqbal Ansari, Minister for Medical Education, said the Government will give autonomy status to the Bangalore Medical College and the Mysore Medical College shortly. There is a dearth of staff at the colleges and the students are suffering. Once the medical colleges become autonomous, the authorities can recruit doctors and lecturers immediately on contract basis, he said. Ms. Sudha Murthy said the laboratory will be ready in a year's time and all patients will be able to do various test under one roof.

H.N. Ananth Kumar, Bangalore South MP, said he will donate Rs. 5 lakhs from his MP's Local Area Development Scheme towards the digital library being constructed by the BMC Alumni Association. The central laboratory was built at a cost of Rs. 3 crores and will have pathology, microbiology and biochemistry labs, T. Rajeshwari, Principal of BMC said.

Metro rail

The Government will go ahead with the implementation of the Metro Rail project, the Chief Minister said.

He is looking into some of the loopholes in the project before it can be implemented.