Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the non-completion of the new building of the taluk Hospital in Hunsur in Mysuru district even after spending crores of rupees.
On learning that the hospital building remains incomplete and needs an additional sum of ₹9.5 crore despite spending nearly ₹25 crore, the Minister said: “I will visit Hunsur soon to personally inspect the work status and take steps accordingly. I remember the Hunsur hospital issue was raised in the Assembly in the past but even today, it is not ready for public use.”
Mr. Gundu Rao, who chaired a department review meeting at the zilla panchayat here, was told by the officials that the construction of the hospital building was started in 2018. Five years have gone, the building is still not ready, he said.
Lack of facilities have resulted in the decline in deliveries in the hospital and an average of 40 deliveries are happening a month despite the availability of specialists, including gynaecologist, radiologist and anesthesiologist.
The Minister and MLA Tanveer Sait took the officials to task for the delay in building construction and said the hospital must become operational at the earliest. Mr. Gundu Rao said he was not happy with the functioning of the taluk hospitals in Hunsur, Periyapatna, and T. Narsipur. The health officers in the taluks must take immediate steps and improve services. “I am not happy with the data that was shown to us on their functioning.”
K.H. Prasad, DHO, said a PHC at Hangodu in Hunsur taluk does 30 deliveries in a month. The THO of Hunsur said the patients go to MCH Hospital in K.R. Nagar for deliveries, resulting in the decline of deliveries in Hunsur hospital. The DHO said 36,222 deliveries took place in Mysuru district in 2022-23.
MLAs K. Harish Gowda and Anil Chikkamadu, Principal Secretary Health T.K. Anil Kumar, Health Commissioner D. Randeep, district surgeon T. Amarnath, district vector borne diseases control officer Chidambar, and others were present.
