Karnataka: Hospital shifts facilities, residents worried

GADAG: The Dandappa Manvi Government Maternity and Children Hospital, which has provided healthcare to women and children of Gadag, Koppal, Bagalkot, Haveri, and other districts, has seen some of its facilities being shifted out, a move that has worried residents.
Seeing the quality of service here, the previous Gadag deputy commissioner M Sundaresh Babu had admitted his wife for her delivery.
Now, the government has shifted various facilities of the hospital to the Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) on the outskirts of the city. People, especially pregnant women, are worried about this.
However, officials denied that the hospital was losingsome of its facilities.
Vishwanath Khanapur, president of the Gadag Jilla Vikas Vedike, said that the hospital has 100 beds. "When there was a public meeting a year ago, officials were assured of retaining this. But now they have shifted the NICU, caesarean section, delivery and all other services to GIMS," he said.
He mentioned that the hospital was renovated at a cost of Rs 19 crore in 2018. "Even the quarters, built for gynaecologists and staff, are vacant. If it was supposed to be shifted, why did the government spend crores of rupees?" he asked.
He noted that the land for the hospital was donated by Manvi family to the Gadag-Betgeri City Municipal Council (GBCMC) in 1932 for the maternity and children's hospital. "It was handed over to the health department in later decades. Now, instead of shifting, it should be returned to the GBCMC," he said.
Chandrakant Chavan, state general secretary of Jaya Karnataka, said that officers deny the shifting of fascilities, but they have been done. "They are offering services like gynaecology consultations only between 10am to 3pm. If any patient comes after 4pm, they insist on them going to GIMS. A patient was dead a few months ago forf the lack of facilities there. If pregnant women wish to visit GIMS, they have to spend auto rickshaw fare of Rs 200 one way and they must travel on bad roads. If there is any emergency, they should hire private taxis at nighttime as auto rickshaws won't be available at all places. This situation is helping private hospitals. It seems officials are favouring private hospitals," he said.
Gadag deputy commissioner Vyshali ML said he will speak to officials.