Plans to have AIIMS in Karnataka soon: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

BENGALURU: A day will come soon when we shall have an AIIMS in Karnataka also, said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday.Speaking at a virtual inauguration of the super speciality trauma block at Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences in Ballari, he said that the Centre’s finance department was actively considering having an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Karnataka.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said at the event, “I have written a letter to you to consider taking over and converting the ESI hospital in Kalaburagi to an AIIMS-like institute. Kalaburagi is a backward district. Upgrading the hospital to an AIIMS-like institute will help people of this region. Please help us in this.”The two of them along with state Minister for Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar inaugurated the super speciality trauma unit under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

Yediyurappa said that it was done in collaboration with the Centre, at a cost of Rs 150 crore. It has 72 ICU beds, emergency unit, 200 beds, 20 ventilators and all the advanced medical equipment and departments like neurosurgery, plastic surgery, orthopaedics, radiology and anesthesia.Sudhakar said the trauma care centre will benefit the people of Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

“Every year, over 4.7 lakh people in the state lose their lives in road accidents due to lack of immediate medical assistance. The lives of people in road accidents can be saved within the golden hour (one hour within the accident). Earlier, road accident cases had to be rushed to Bengaluru. Now, people in the district and neighbouring districts in the state can avail the medical treatment at the trauma centre,” Sudhakar said.

Vardhan appreciated the CM and his cabinet for putting their best foot forward in the fight against Covid-19 and said that Karnataka had done a remarkably good job.”There are many good practices which have been used to fight Covid-19 which are worth replicating by others and I have quoted them in a number of meetings with other state health ministers also,” he said.He said that in continuation with the Centre’s plan to have more medical colleges, MBBS and PG seats, new medical colleges will be set up in Chikkamagaluru, Haveri, Yadgir and Chikkaballapur.