Health Minister announces demolition of old Wenlock Government Hospital building to build new intensive care unit

Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada district, during the Arogya Raksha Samithi meeting in Mangaluru on Saturday, August 17. Photo credit: HS MANJUNATH

As the old Wenlock Government Hospital building, comprising the administrative block, OPD and ICU, was leaking, Dakshina Kannada Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Saturday (August 17) asked the authorities to demolish the old building and construct a new ICU block on the same site.

When the building is demolished, the administrative block with heritage value should be preserved, he said.

KS Aruna Prabha, Managing Director, Mangaluru Smart City Limited, speaking at the Arogya Raksha Samithi meeting in Mangaluru on Saturday, August 17. | Photo Credit: HS Manjunath

At a meeting of the hospital’s Arogya Raksha Samiti presided over by Mr Rao, Samiti member Padmanabha Amin pointed out the frequent repairs of the old structure. The deputy executive engineer of the health department said that over Rs 200 crore was required for the repairs and that these would not serve any purpose.

The minister further said that the state government has allocated Rs 23 crore for the construction of a new ICU block. “Submit a proposal for demolition of the old building and reconstruction of the new ICU block by August 28, when I will be in Mangaluru for an appraisal meeting. We will take the necessary decision,” the minister told the health department engineer. Kasturba Medical College, which has entered into a PPP with the hospital, will provide the additional funds for the completion of the ICU block, the minister added.

Two PROs

The minister asked hospital director Jesinta D’Souza to submit a proposal to the government to utilise the Arogya Raksha Samiti funds to appoint two public relations officers. The funds can be used to appoint more data entry operators to avoid long queues at the hospital’s outpatient department.

With the government’s proposal to increase user fees, the hospital’s revenue will be doubled, the minister said.

When Dr D’Souza expressed the need for additional manpower to open the new surgical block, the minister asked the former to submit the floor-wise staffing requirements. Kasturba Medical College Mangaluru Associate Dean Suresh Kumar Shetty said the cath lab in the basement of the surgical block will be operational by September.

Regarding the lack of nurses at the hospital, Dr Shetty said the KMC was also struggling to find nurses and asked Dr D’Souza to find the required nurses. Regarding the irregular salary paid to the 188 Group D contractual workers who are treating patients, the minister said he would look into the matter and resolve it.