Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development Sharanprakash Patil addressing a press conference in Hubballi.
| Photo Credit: KIRAN BAKALE
Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development Sharanprakash Patil has said that he will take up the demand for enhancing the recurring expenses of Karnataka Medical College and Research Institute (KMCRI) with the Finance Department after verifying expenses under various heads in the past three years.
Addressing a press conference in Hubballi, Dr. Patil admitted that there is pressure on KMCRI as it is the sole tertiary care unit in Kittur Karnataka catering to the healthcare needs of patients from several districts.
He said that the government has already provided additional healthcare facilities at the hospital under various programmes.
“We want to ensure that every district has adequate healthcare facility and that’s why it has been proposed to set up medical colleges in every district and also set up super-speciality hospitals. A government hospital will cater to the healthcare needs of the common man at affordable prices. Moreover, it is free for BPL card holders,” he said.
To a query, he clarified that the entitled grants of KMCRI are being released regularly.
On the issue of private practice of doctors, he said that the government has already issued a circular directing that doctors should do private practice only after 4 p.m. And, also, it has been made mandatory to register their attendance four times in a day and there will also be CCTV surveillance.
“Attendance will be checked regularly along with CCTV footage and any absenteeism will be treated seriously and penalised through cut in their salaries,” he said.
‘Not responding’
On the demand for establishment of an AIIMS in Raichur, the Minister said that while the issue has been raised several times, the Centre “has not responded positively” to the proposal so far. Karnataka and Kerala are the only two States where there is no AIIMS, he said.
To a query, he said that the issue of appointing a full-time director to KMCRI will be taken up soon but clarified that the acting director has all the powers of a full-time director.
To another query on the lack of medicine and doctors prescribing medicine to be purchased from medical stores, he said that he will take it up during the review meeting. He clarified that writing prescriptions for outside medicine is strictly prohibited and action will be taken against in such cases.
The Minister said that the government has proposed an increase of 800 undergraduate medical seats and 750 post-graduate seats for clinical courses in the government medical colleges of the State and expressed the confidence that the NMC will give its approval.
Inauguration
Subsequently, the Minister inaugurated the computerised laboratory, Brachytherapy (cancer therapy unit) set up at a cost of ₹2.2 crore, two modular operation theatres and a renovated outdoor stadium developed at a cost of ₹1.5 crore.
Acting director of KMCRI S.F. Kammar and other senior doctors were present.
He also held a review meeting later and visited the construction site of the branch of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology which is planned to be completed in a year’s time.
Published – April 24, 2025 08:15 pm IST