The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Five-storey super speciality building may come up at Minto Eye Hospital

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Five-storey super speciality building may come up at Minto Eye Hospital

Staff Reporter

All operation theatres to be housed on the same floor

HERITAGE STRUCTURE: A view of Minto Eye Hospital. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: Minto Eye Hospital has proposed to build a five-storey super speciality building within the complex. But the 100-year-old main building will be preserved as a heritage structure. The hospital treats over 400 outpatients on most days.

Officials of Minto Eye Hospital say they have sent a proposal to the State Government for its consideration. Executive engineers have visited the site and officials from the Public Works Department are to visit the area shortly.

If the proposal is accepted, Minto Eye Hospital will become the third Government hospital that has been approved for expansion. Victoria Hospital is being upgraded at a cost of Rs. 48 crore while Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospitals is getting expanded at Rs. 73 crore (in two phases).

According to authorities in Minto Eye Hospital, the new building will have an operation theatre complex across an entire floor. The old Minto building had four operation theatres spread on different levels. "We wanted all the operation theatres to be on the same area to make mobility of the patient easier," says the official.

Several super specialties such vitreo retinology, corneal transplants, treatment of glaucoma, paediatrics and squint and community ophthalmology will come up at the new building. "At present, we do not have sufficient space for all super specialty departments," the official said. The new building will have 300 beds.

Apart from the need for extra space, the new building will help reduce the cost of maintenance for the hospital administration. At present, maintenance in the old building is proving to be a big hassle with bills running up to several lakhs of rupees every month.

"Repairs are become expensive for us. We cannot change any of the structures because it is a heritage building," the official said.

V.S. Acharya, Medical Education Minister, said that he had not seen the proposal for the expansion plan.

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