Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the State government will press the Centre to accord a national institute status to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in Bangalore.
Speaking at the inauguration of the super-speciality centre of the hospital, Siddaramaiah said the state-run institute should be made ‘National Institute of Chest Diseases’ in line with NIMHANS. The state cabinet has already approved it. “We will soon press the Centre to approve this proposal and ensure that it is done,” he said.
Siddaramaiah said there is an increase in viral and respiratory diseases in the city due to increasing air pollution and habits such as smoking. “These habits are worsening the health of our people. At the same time it is not possible to impose a ban on these products as it will encourage unlawful activities and people will do anything to gain access to them,” the CM said, while recalling that he was a smoker until 1987. “I decided to quit several times because smoking had started badly affecting my health. But once I quit, I faced a greater urge to smoke and I kept yielding to it,” he said.
Making special mention of specialty hospitals run by the government like Minto Ophthalmic Hospital and Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences which are benefitting a large section of the poor, the CM said government hospitals must break the belief among poor that they can be cured of diseases only if they are willing to splurge on treatment.
He lauded the efforts of Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director, RGICD, for his efforts in expanding the hospital that started in 1948 with 50 beds and now had 470 beds.
‘Upgrade Vani Vilas Hospital’
Chickpet MLA R V Devaraj requested Siddaramaiah to release more funds to upgrade Vani Vilas Women and Childrens’ Hospital which caters to almost the entire population in his assembly constituency. “Nearly 9,000 deliveries are carried out every year at this hospital and a large number of poor women are dependent on the hospital for treatment. Facilities have to be strengthened at the earliest,” he said.
Devaraj also mentioned that the RGICD also allow the Yeshaswini and Vajpayee Arogyashree Scheme for BPL patients.
Meanwhile, Dr Buggi said that the new campus is equipped with an intensive respiratory care ward and will help ease out a burden of almost 400 to 500 chest injury patients treated each year. “We are continuing with our existing bed strength and staff strength but we are facing a huge shortage of thoracic surgeons,” he said.
A website for the Shantabai Devarao Shivaram or SDS Tuberculosis Institute and RGICD was also launched on the occasion to enable patients to book appointments online.