HUBLI: Medical Education Minister V.S. Acharya has said that that the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) would have a cath lab (catheterisation lab) and a trauma centre by the first week of March.

Addressing presspersons at KIMS here on Wednesday, the Minister said he, along with the Joint Secretary of the department, had inspected the site proposed for the lab and the centre on Wednesday.

He said the total expenditure incurred would be over Rs. 4 crore. Of this the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) would bear the cost of equipment worth Rs. 2.5 crore. There were several add-ons that had to be installed and the rooms needed to be renovated for the purpose, he said.

On the facilities at KIMS, which was nearing its golden jubilee, the Minister said the Government, in association with the alumni association of KIMS, was planning to take up renovation of the institute building.

Although the building had been constructed keeping in mind future requirements, it had become old. The sanitation and sewerage facilities need to be improved apart from changing the flooring. There are plans to bring about some cosmetic changes with regard to the building. The expenditure involved would be around Rs. 5 crore, he said. Expressing concern over the lack of research facilities and initiatives in the institute, the Minister said in order to encourage research work, a society for academic research activities was being set up at KIMS.

Number of students

Dr. Acharya said efforts were being made to increase the intake of students for the medical course from 100 to 150. An RGUHS team had inspected the facilities available and analysed the requirement of teachers. According to them, 150 students could be admitted at KIMS for the MBBS course. The RGUHS would be sending a report in this regard to the Medical Council of India, he said.

To a query, he said the inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of funds in KIMS in the last few years was underway and the report was likely to be submitted shortly.

Regarding complaints on non-availability of doctors for treating the poor and patients being asked by doctors to visit their private nursing homes, Dr. Acharya said he would look into the issue.

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