St John’s to upgrade its health centre to 100-bed facility

BENGALURU: St John’s Medical College is set to start a 100-bed primary and secondary healthcare centre at Kaggalipura, on Kanakapura Road about 24 km from the parent hospital in Koramangala. 

This is to spread the expertise of the hospital and affordable healthcare to patients beyond the hospital to the periphery, who would otherwise be forced to travel for treatment. This not-for-profit initiative will be in collaboration with the Brigade Group of builders.

An ambulance service will be available at the centre, for those who require further treatment, dean of St. John’s Medical College, Dr George A D’Souza told TNIE. The medical college has already started started a primary health clinic in Kagalipura in June 2020.

The health centre would be a step ahead, he added. At present, the clinic treat about 40 patients a day. At the centre, patients would get consultancy from established health professional who also work at the hospital, at a nominal fee of Rs 75. 

The existing health centre at Kagalipura works complementing the local primary health centre. The same was seen during vaccination drives, where the health centre helped with the medical personnel. “There has been a demand for Dermatologists and Orthopaedics in the area, which the hospital can fill in,” he said.

The health clinic started with visits from specialists once a month, but with the demand, the visits have increased to two, says Dr D’Souza. The hospital also has requests to run a facility for autistic children in the city.