From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Beltangady, Jun 30: Health and family welfare minister Dr K Sudhakar has promised to ensure that vacancies of doctors will be filled up to ensure that there was no shortage of doctors in all hospitals and at least one primary health care centre in each assembly constituency in the state will be upgraded.

Dr Sudhakar was speaking at a function at Charmady Ghat after inaugurating the new building of the primary health care centre and the opening of the Kokkada Community Health Centre.

The BJP government headed by chief minister B S Yediyurappa has accorded top priority to the healthcare sector and 250 PHCs are being upgraded to ensure that all the people in rural areas were provided with basic health care facilities.

As many as 1,763 doctors have been recruited and another 2,050 doctors have been appointed on a contract basis under the mandatory one-year rural service.

The coastal Dakshina Kannada district has been provided with 26 doctors, including 18 specialists, and 40 medical officers.

The Kokkada community health centre with 30-beds has been upgraded at a cost of Rs 4.8 crore and it will be equipped with all the necessary facilities and instruments. The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd has provided beds, he said.

The health minister said the state government has appointed 153 pediatric specialists in order to safeguard against the possible Covid third wave, which is likely to affect the children most. Nurses and other para-medical personnel are also being provided throughout the state, he said.

The minister the PHC at Beltangady is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 8 crore. The government Wenlock hospital at Mangaluru is also provided with the latest facilities to ensure that specialist services were made available to the people. A genome sequencing lab is also being set up at Mangaluru, he said.

Dr Sudhakar said the state government has provided monthly compensation of Rs 3,000 each to people who have over 60% disability due to Endosulfan and those having disabilities ranging from 59% to 25% are also provided with concessional reliefs. Steps will be taken to ensure that higher compensation and reliefs were extended to those affected by the Endosulfan, he said.

The minister explained the various programmes taken up by the Yediyurappa government to ensure better health care for the people in rural areas.