₹20 crore promised for new block in the Davangere District Hospital
The Hindu
Minister announces ₹20 crore for new block at Chigateri District Hospital in Davangere due to overcrowding and weak building.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday said that the government will release ₹20 crore for the construction of a new block at Chigateri District Hospital in Davangere.
He was speaking at a review meeting of health officials in Davangere on Thursday after a visit to the Chigateri District Hospital along with district in-charge Minister S.S. Mallikarjun and Member of Parliament Prabha Mallikarjun.
Mr. Gundu Rao said that although the district hospital has a staff strength that can only handle 400 beds, the staff is now handling 930 beds in the hospital. Moreover, the old hospital building has become weak.
So, in a phased manner, the old building will be demolished to make way for the construction of the new block and ₹20 crore will be released for the purpose, he said.
The Minister said that funds to the tune of ₹100 crore are required for the construction of the new building after clearing the old building.
“As the old building has a good design, it has been planned to construct the new building with the same design. It has been planned to demolish old blocks and construct the new block with the same design in a phased manner. And, in the first phase, the south block will be demolished and the new block will be constructed in the same place. The new block will have model operation theatres,” he said.
Mr. Gundu Rao said that the hospital at present is handling an average of around 600 to 700 child births per month and as the Chigateri hospital has become a referral centre, people are visiting the hospital for treatment of newborns and children, leading to shortage of space.