By R. Chandra Prakash
Mysuru is affectionately called by different names due to its certain unique features. It is called as a Heritage City, a City of Palaces, a Cultural City, an Educational City, Yoga City, a Sandal City, a Tourist City, a Film City etc. But one particular feature, which is equally unique to Mysuru is unrecognised, and therefore Mysuru has missed out on one more much deserved sobriquet — it is also a Medical City!
For a population of the size of Mysuru the availability of every kind of medical infrastructure for every kind of health problem within this city is quite remarkable. Mysuru has about 800-plus doctors and more than 1,400 clinics and hospitals. It is due to this phenomenal health related facilities that many prominent medical entrepreneurs from this city had planned to create an international health hub here.
They had a plan for creating a health-based tourism to attract patients from all over the world by coupling the flourishing tourist industry with their medical profession. They had even planned to have Helicopter Ambulance links with some major cities of the country to make this possible. And their professional expertise had a strong business logic.
The waiting time for even a minor operation such as appendicitis in some European countries and in the USA could be few months. The medical costs could be exorbitant, the insurance coverage limiting factor. Oil-rich Middle Eastern countries have money in plenty, but the medical facilities are highly limited. The foreign exchange value differences gave India an edge. With the high credibility of the Indian medical professionals all over the world this was a win-win proposition. It is unfortunate that this grand plan did not take to wings and Mysuru lost a great opportunity.
However, this minor factor does not nullify the claim for Mysuru to be called as a Medical City. Let us have a brief glance over a few facts.
A brief history
Wadiyars’ era was imbued with the idea of societal concern in every developmental effort. They strongly believed to be a model to its citizens when it came to their belief in medical treatment. They had strong faith in traditional medical practices like Ayurveda. They practiced a good health regimen by patronising activities like Yoga and Kusti (wrestling). However, they also valued modern allopathic medical practices and founded many big hospitals.
Wadiyars established the iconic Doddaspatre (K.R. Hospital), the Ayurveda and Unani Hospital side by side as if to emphasise their belief in both the streams of medical practices. They provided with spacious Cheluvamba Hospital for maternity care within K.R. Hospital complex and an Ophthalmology Block to deal with eye ailments. They built P.K.T.B. Sanatorium in a very sprawling green area on an elevated place to deal with dreaded T.B. They also built a separate hospital for dealing with other epidemic diseases on an hilly place near Eidgah Maidan. They also established a large residential school for the visually and hearing impaired children.
Above all, they established a Medical College in Mysuru which went on to produce thousands of highly merited and dedicated medical professionals. They have served the State, the country and abroad, and brought laurels back home. The large auditorium of Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) in J.K. Grounds, with an alumni membership of more than 1,000, stands testimony to the contributions of MMC doctors all over the world.
Many philanthropic-minded businessmen in the city have built large hospitals to serve the poor and the women.
These medical facilities built by the Wadiyars have spawned a large Government and private medical infrastructure which could be envy of any other city in the State and the country. And a right to be called a Medical City as well.
Today
Over a period, the entire Government medical infrastructure in the city has undergone a metamorphic change. In the K.R. Hospital complex a new OPD Block, an Emergency Block, a Surgical Block, a Paediatric Hospital, Diagnostic Centres such as Pathology Lab, X-Ray, CT scan facilities, a few nurse quarters have been added. P.K. Sanatorium complex is full of large speciality hospitals. Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences & Research, Multi-speciality K.R. Hospital Extension Block, MMC&RI Extension Block, a new Ayurveda Hospital and Pancha Karma Complex are located there. A large ESI Hospital, a new Epidemic Hospital and District Hospital Complex have come up nearby on KRS Road.
Today, Mysuru has a plethora of private medical facilities — Diagnostic Centres of various categories like Pathology Labs, X-Ray, CT/MRI, Cath Labs, to a small cellar-based physiotherapy clinics to a well-equipped large physio-clinics; from one doctor clinic to a small residential block hospital to several corporate level multi-speciality large hospital; there are hospitals exclusively treating cancer; then there are individual Ophthalmic specialist centres to medium and big eye-clinics/hospitals; from single dentist clinics to big dental clinics providing range of dental care; clinics providing treatment for ear, nose and throat; Clinics attending mainly to skin ailments, and not to forget the problems relating to hearing and speech.
And the city also has a large complex of private medical college and multi-speciality hospitals, 10 life-saving Blood Banks, more than 300 pharma-wholesalers and 600-plus retailers dealing with more than 48,000 formulations!
Medical City of Mysuru today has facilities for every ailment at different affordable costs. A bird’s eye view of that will be very enlightening indeed.
This post was published on February 2, 2022 6:15 pm