Date:20/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/20/stories/2007052017830300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

BBMP shows it has a heart

Staff Reporter

Donates Rs. 1 crore to Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology

LAUDABLE STEP: Minister for Health R. Ashok (second from right) arriving for the inauguration of the BBMP Male Cardiology Ward at Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology in Bangalore on Saturday. (From left) BBMP Administrator Dilip Rau, Director of Jayadev a Institute of Cardiology C.N. Manjunath and BBMP Commissioner K. Jairaj are with him. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: Minister for Health and Family Welfare R. Ashok on Saturday issued an ultimatum to bureaucrats to implement the family health insurance scheme within a month. He warned action against those who failed to implement it within the deadline.

Speaking after presenting a cheque for Rs. 1 crore to the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology as a special donation on behalf of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) here, he said though sufficient had been set apart, the scheme had not been implemented due to the negligence of the officials concerned.

Recently, he held discussions with Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in this regard and had decided to implement the scheme within a month.

The Minister, who is also in charge of Bangalore city, inaugurated the BBMP Male Cardiology Ward on the sixth floor for poor, urban patients.

On the occasion, the palike signed a memorandum of understanding with the institute through which cardiac care will be offered to BBMP employees.

The employees need not pay any amount at the time of admission while the palike would settle the bill directly with the institute.

Mr. Ashok said the palike's annual contribution of Rs. 1 lakh or Rs. 2 lakh to the institute was insufficient and directed the BBMP to enhance the contribution to at least Rs. 10 lakh. He commended the palike for donating Rs. 1 crore to the institute and said the move would go a long way in serving the urban poor.

Speaking on the occasion, C.N. Manjunath, director of the institute, noted that the institute had performed more than 1,200 open-heart surgeries, 2,500 interventions, including angioplasty and balloon valvuloplasty and 8,700 angiograms during 2006. The institute had registered a 60 per cent growth compared to previous years.

Dr. Manjunath further said that about 14,000 in-patients and 1.35 lakh out-patients were treated by the institute last year while 238 open-heart surgeries and 176 angioplasties were done free of cost for poor patients.

The director said he had mobilised Rs. 10 crore donation from various organisations and created an independent corpus fund for the institute to support treatment to the poor.

Palike Administrator Dilip Rau and Commissioner K. Jairaj were present.