Udupi: Health Minister U.T. Khader has said that all existing facilities in the old Udupi District Hospital building will be retained and additional amenities will be introduced in the new hospital. He said the government was taking steps to make the new facility operational, while acknowledging the need for additional manpower and administrative preparations.
Responding to concerns over the use of materials and equipment from the old hospital building for the new facility, Khader said the government was committed to ensuring that public infrastructure and resources were not allowed to go to waste.
He pointed out that tenders had already been invited for procuring furniture required for the new Udupi District Hospital. However, additional human resources would also be necessary before the facility could function effectively.
Old hospital facilities to be retained
Khader said the relocation of the old hospital was necessary and that existing facilities would be shifted to the new building. He clarified that the government intended to retain all the facilities available in the old hospital while adding new amenities to improve healthcare services.
He stressed that government infrastructure should not be allowed to deteriorate or remain unused. Public resources, including medical equipment and other facilities, needed to be utilised appropriately.
Acknowledging the concerns raised by members of the public regarding the transition, the minister said administrative processes and infrastructure-related work required time.
He maintained that objections raised at the stage when a hospital was preparing to become operational were not appropriate, adding that the government was aware of both the difficulties faced by the public and the practical realities of the administrative system.
The minister’s remarks come amid concerns over the readiness of the new District Hospital building and the arrangements required to make it fully functional.
Khader questions MLA’s proposed protest
Responding to the Udupi MLA’s statement about the possibility of staging a protest if the new District Hospital building did not become operational, Khader questioned the approach of resorting to demonstrations instead of resolving administrative issues.
He said staging a protest was easy, but finding solutions to problems was difficult.
Questioning the role of elected representatives, he said people elected MLAs to resolve public issues rather than merely organise protests.
According to Khader, an elected representative should bring the concerned officials together whenever problems arise and work towards finding practical solutions.
He said identifying problems alone was not sufficient and that public representatives had a responsibility to ensure that administrative bottlenecks were addressed.
The minister also said the state government had requested Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to facilitate the recruitment of the additional human resources required for the hospital.
Government says funds and amenities have been provided
Khader maintained that the state government was making efforts to provide the necessary amenities to the public and had allocated sufficient funds for development-related works.
He said government projects were being implemented through the grants allocated for them and asserted that there was no shortage of commitment on the part of the state government towards development.
Referring to the issue of sugarcane farmers’ pending dues, the minister said the state government could not be expected to pay amounts owed to farmers by the Central Government.
He referred to the Chief Minister’s remarks on the issue, indicating that the state government could not be expected to shoulder the financial burden of the Centre.
Khader questioned the expectation that the state government should take responsibility for liabilities belonging to the Union Government.
Private hospitals asked to display treatment charges
The Health Minister also addressed the issue of private hospitals failing to prominently display their treatment charges and price lists.
He questioned whether the government needed to resort to warnings and threats to ensure that private hospitals complied with the requirement.
Khader said private hospitals also had a social responsibility towards patients and should ensure transparency in their billing practices.
He called upon the Private Hospitals’ Association to direct its member institutions to display their price lists prominently so that patients and their families could easily access the information.
He stressed that the displayed price lists should include major treatment charges and other important service costs. Patients should be able to understand the financial implications of treatment before availing themselves of medical services.
The minister acknowledged that private hospitals had provided good services but emphasised that transparency in pricing was equally important in maintaining public confidence in the healthcare system.
Khader opposes foreign investment in healthcare
Khader also expressed opposition to foreign investment entering the healthcare sector, stating that such investments could create difficulties for patients.
He said healthcare should remain accessible and that the entry of foreign investment into the sector could have adverse implications for ordinary people seeking medical treatment.
His remarks reflected the government’s stated concern about protecting patients’ interests and ensuring that healthcare services remained accessible to the general public.
The minister’s comments covered several important healthcare-related issues, including the operational readiness of the new Udupi District Hospital, recruitment of medical personnel, utilisation of existing infrastructure and transparency in private hospital charges.
He reiterated that the government was working towards providing improved healthcare facilities and that the existing amenities of the old District Hospital would not be discarded during the transition to the new building.