Pratap Simha meets CM Bommai in New Delhi; urges for administrative approval

Mysore/Mysuru: With just days away for the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to make final changes to the Karnataka Budget 2022-2023, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has given his wish-list to the CM in New Delhi.

Meeting Bommai yesterday, the MP sought a special allocation of Rs. 85.98 crore to renovate the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) and the constituent hospitals run by the institution — K.R. Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital and PKTB Hospital. These are the largest public healthcare facilities in the region apart from being the teaching hospitals of the MMC&RI.

All the hospitals and the MMC&RI are housed in heritage buildings and there is an urgent need to restore them with structural repairs. The structures have sustained the weather for over 100 years and the MMC&RI is one of the oldest medical colleges in India, the MP told the CM.

An estimate of Rs. 85.98 crore has been prepared for restoring the K.R. Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital and PKTB Hospital and it has been sent to the Government long back and till now there is no news of the approval. The MP requested the CM to accord administrative approval to the estimates.

In a press release, Pratap Simha has said that the CM has positively responded to his request. Moreover, the restoration works at this juncture assumes significance that many buildings have reported damages and leakages. Also, a lot of patients from Mysuru and neighbouring districts depend on these hospitals for treatment and it becomes important to strengthen them, the MP noted.

It may be mentioned here that the MMC&RI had submitted a memorandum to the MP on Jan. 4. The proceedings of the meeting held by Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra on Aug. 9, 2021 has been mentioned in the memorandum seeking grants from the Government to restore the structures without spoiling their heritage characters.

The memorandum submitted by the MMC&RI says that apart from buildings that house the K.R. Hospital and Cheluvamba Hospital, there are over 12 buildings on the campus. Some of them need urgent repairs.

 The existing buildings have to be strengthened for the future as new structures cannot be built on the campus due to lack of space. As the buildings were built using lime mortar, they need to be re-plastered and given stability to ensure that they stay strong in the years ahead, the memorandum said.