Mangaluru: District Wenlock Hospital is not meant only for patients from the Dakshina Kannada district. People from around eight districts, including Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kasargod and others, come here to receive treatment. As most of the patients come from poor financial backgrounds and are illiterate, they don’t know about the procedures involved when it comes to getting admitting to the hospital, receiving blood from the hospital etc. In order to assist them, the Indian Red Cross Society has set up a Community Helping Centre at the Wenlock Hospital, which was formally inaugurated on Tuesday, February 11.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary inaugurated the centre and informed that he would strive hard to avail many more facilities for the public in the Wenlock Hospital. “Even though Wenlock Hospital is a government hospital, patients from all our neighbouring districts receive treatment here. I will strive hard to avail more infrastructure facilities for this hospital,” he said.
Presiding over the inaugural programme, Mangaluru South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath informed that Rs 45 crores has been earmarked to undertake development projects at the Wenlock Hospital. “As the hospital has only 12 Intensive Care Units (ICUs) now, there is a plan to increase it to at least 36,” he said.
Dakshina Kannada district unit of Indian Red Cross Society chairman CA Shantharam Shetty said that the centre would assist the patients with all their needs and the premises of Wenlock Hospital will be beautified with a garden.
Meanwhile, senior citizens and students who are ready to work as volunteers in the Community Helping Centre were provided jackets on the occasion. The centre will extend its services to patients from 9 am to 5 pm.
Dakshina Kannada district Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Roopesh, Mangalore University Vice-Chancellor Prof P S Yadapadithaya, Wenlock Hospital Superintendent Dr Rajeshwari Devi, Indian Red Cross Society honorary secretary Prabhakar Sharma, nodal officer, Dr Ganapathi Gowda and others were present.
