BENGALURU: After a gap of more than three years, the Charaka Super Speciality Hospital, affiliated to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College and Research Institute, reopened on Monday. Initially launched as a 150-bed Covid facility during the pandemic, the hospital was forced to shut down within its first year, due to staff shortages.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the facility, with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Medical Education and Skill Development Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil.
Emphasising the importance of providing high-quality healthcare services to the poor, Siddaramaiah assured that the hospital would deliver care on par with private facilities, which many economically disadvantaged individuals cannot afford. He highlighted the government’s commitment to expanding healthcare infrastructure across Karnataka.
“In 2016-17, we initiated plans to establish super specialty hospitals in Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Belagavi, and Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar. However, when the BJP came to power, these projects were stalled,” he stated. The Charaka Hospital will provide services in cardiology, nephrology, urology, and plastic surgery.
To support these offerings, a mix of newly recruited permanent resident doctors and staff diverted from Victoria and Jayadeva hospitals have been brought on board.