The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Rs. 100-crore health corpus under study'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 02, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Rs. 100-crore health corpus under study'

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, JULY 1. The State Government was planning to set up a Rs. 100-crore corpus for providing medical facilities to the poor and the needy, M.P. Prakash, Minister for Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs, said here today.

Speaking after inaugurating the cobalt therapy unit for treating cancer patients, set up at the Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.62 crore, Mr. Prakash said the Yashasvini health programme announced by the Government had helped in providing medical treatment to members of cooperative societies and they could also avail themselves of free treatment here too.

Stating that pollution and toxic material were among the main causes for cancer, Mr. Prakash wanted people to exercise care.

He said efforts would be made to mobilise funds to the tune of Rs. 45 lakh to construct a choultry to enable patients coming from surrounding areas to the hospital for treatment, to stay there.

The Minister expressed happiness that the VIMS, which was established in 1961, had emerged as a well-equipped hospital.

Karunakar Reddy, MP, who inaugurated the cancer ward built at a cost of Rs. 70 lakh, exhorted doctors and medical staff to treat the patients with a service motto. He also announced a grant of Rs. 5 lakh from the MPLAD scheme for the construction of the proposed choultry.

N. Suryanarayan Reddy, Kurgodu MLA, underlined the need for the doctors to organise medical camps and educate people about maintaining good health and provide proper medical treatment to the poor. He also announced a personal contribution of Rs. 2 lakh for the choultry.

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