BENGALURU: A week after The New Indian Express reported that the BBMP proposed to lease out its new 100-bed super-speciality hospital to the Narayana Hrudayalaya, the Dean of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital informed the Medical Education Department that they can run the hospital with adequate manpower, equipment and additional funds from National Health Mission or Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.
In its report (BBMP proposes to lease out swanky hospital) on February 16, Express had said that the land value and cost of construction of the swanky hospital on Broadway Road in Shivajinagar has come up to `40 crore and that the Palike was expected to spend an additional `11.17 crore to make the facility National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH)- compliant. But Narayana Health plans to invest only `20 crore on medical equipment and working capital, and take it on lease for a period of 30 years. Considering that Narayana Health would only reserve 10 per cent of the beds for the poor and pourakarmikas, it raised questions on why the government can’t run the facility on its own. On February 17, Manjula V, Additional Chief Secretary to the Medical Education Department, in a letter, asked Bowring Hospital if it can make use of the facility. “Please go through the newspaper article attached herewith (attached was the TNIE article).
It appears that BBMP has built a super-specialty facility in Shivajinagar and is looking forward to leasing the facility for running it. The location of the hospital is ideal as it is well connected and it is in the centre of the city. Please examine and furnish your opinion on whether the Medical Education Department can make use of this facility,” wrote Manjula. In a reply on February 21, Dr K S Manjunath, Director and Dean of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, said the hospital had requested for a super-specialty hospital and since the nearest super-speciality hospital is Victoria, for the benefit of the thickly populated North Bengaluru, Bowring can run the facility.
“Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute has already submitted a proposal for sanction of a superspecialty hospital under it. There is a dire need of one in the thickly populated North Bengaluru as the nearest super-specialty care is available only at Victoria Hospital. It’s also fragmented with only a few departments at Victoria ... The government needs to provide adequate manpower, equipment, instruments, additional budget to establish the same. The specialties can be started in a phased manner depending on funds, request can also be sent to the Government of India for sanction of funds under National Health Mission or Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana if possible,” wrote Dr Manjunath. Shivajinagar MLA Roshan Baig on Tuesday assured a delegation of activists that the hospital won’t be given to a private entity. The delegation was led by writer G Ramakrishana.
A joint statement from the delegation spearheaded by Karnataka Janarogya Chaluvali said the Minister said his government will not take any decision against the interest of the citizens. He said no MoU has been signed. Now the government has decided to attach super-specialty hospital on Broadway Road with the new medical college in Bowring Hospital.