BENGALURU: Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday took to social media to suggest to the Karnataka government that they must not threaten medical college hospitals with cancellation of licence, but win them over and take them into confidence.
There are 11 private medical colleges in Bengaluru, and the government had called for a meeting with these colleges on Saturday. Together, they have about 3,500 beds and massive medical infrastructure, necessary to battle Covid, besides a number of trained medical staff. Efforts are on to rope them into the fight against Covid.
Kumaraswamy pointed out that while it was wrong for any hospital to deny treatment, it was also not correct on the part of the government to threaten private medical colleges. “Private college hospitals are concerned about offering 50 per cent beds, as suggested, because of the concern that if Covid patients are there, other patients will not come. Some, like Ambedkar Medical College, have offered everything to the government, while some are making alternative arrangements. Rajarajeshwari Medical College Hospital has offered to support the government, and is catering to the whole of Ramanagara district.