VIJAYAPURA: The ongoing agitation for a government medical college and opposition to the PPP model medical college for Vijayapura district has received a boost with APMC and Textile Minister Shivanand Patil extending his support.
Patil visited the indefinite strike site organised under the banner of the Government Medical College Struggle Committee at Dr. BR Ambedkar Circle on Monday and assured the protesters that he would take up the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
The minister said he too shared the demand for a government-run medical college in Vijayapura and strongly opposed the PPP model, stating that such an arrangement would burden common people instead of serving them. “There is no PPP model medical college in Karnataka. Why bring such a model only in this district? This will exploit the poor and not benefit them,” he said, vowing to raise his voice until the demand was met.
Recalling his tenure as Health Minister during the Congress-JDS coalition government, Patil said that he had put all efforts to get a government medical college sanctioned for the district.
“I also ensured the provision of all basic facilities, including a trauma centre, super-specialty hospital, 150-bed mother and child care centre, AYUSH hospital, nursing colleges, a regional commissioner’s office, and 150 acres of land with fencing.
Now, only a grant of Rs 100 crore is required, and even that can be released in two stages for the project to take off,” he said.