Bengaluru: Health minister U T Khader on Sunday said that ventilators will be installed in all district hospitals and 25 taluk hospitals at a cost of Rs 22.7 crore. The Health department got clearance from the Finance department to install ventilators.
The decision comes after the death of a two-year-old infant due to the alleged lack of ventilator facility at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) in the city.
Speaking to media persons the minister said, “To improve child care, the department will be providing financial support to IGICH to make its 11-bed ICU into a 30 bed facility.”
“Special labs will be set up in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Bagalkot, Hubballi and Ballari to test H1N1 cases. The World Health Organisation has approved only two tests for dengue and private hospitals are conducting various other tests and hence they have been warned of penal action,” he said.
Khader defended state government’s decision to hold Tipu Jayanti and said, “Everyone is aware that Tipu Sultan respected people from all religions. Hence, the Minorities Department decided to observe his birth anniversary as a day of importance. Religious fundamentalists are responsible for the death of two persons during the protests that took place earlier this week in Madikeri,” he added.
