MANGALURU: The government has decided to take over the management of the Government of Karnataka Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Memorial Haji Abdulla Mother and Child Hospital in Udupi.
Udupi MLA K Raghupahti Bhat said the government had decided to take over the hospital that has 200 beds. In addition to the existing staff, the government has sanctioned 103 staff and announced annual maintenance for Rs 9.83 crore. The process of taking over will begin soon, the MLA said.
“The hospital was handed over to the BRC Ventures in PPP mode. Since they have sent a letter to the government stating their inability to maintain the hospital, the cabinet on Wednesday decided to maintain it on its own. The government will also take a humanitarian stand with regard to the staff appointed to the hospital by the private company,” Bhat said.
Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, during his visit to Udupi in August last year, had agreed to take over the mother and child hospital. In fact, the hospital run by BR Life was in financial trouble and staff, including doctors and nurses, were not being paid salaries on time.
Bhat said plans are afoot to set up a government medical college in Udupi district in PPP mode.
He said that Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Limited (iDeCK) will prepare a DPR and the proposal will be discussed thoroughly before adopting a PPP model. He also expressed hopes that the setting up of a medical college will be easy once the infrastructure at the new district government hospital, which is under construction, is ready.
