Pre-budget discussion with Health and Medical Education Minister

MMC&RI seeks extra manpower, MRI scanner and new equipment from State Govt.

Mysore/Mysuru: Sufficient manpower for Trauma Centre, funds to procure new medical equipment including MRI scanner and additional funds for the maintenance of century-old Hospital buildings… These were some of the demands put forth by officials of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) before the State Government.

In a pre-budget discussion with Health and Medical Education Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar, a delegation of MMC&RI led by Dr.  C.P. Nanjaraj, Dean and Director of the Institute, held a two-hour-long discussion in Bengaluru listing out the demands in order to improve healthcare facilities at K.R. Hospital.

Giving details of the meeting to SOM, Dr. Nanjaraj said they have sought additional manpower for Trauma Centre, new medical devices, repairs of UG Hostel for boys, construction of new buildings, purchasing MRI scanner and maintenance of the heritage Hospital buildings. The Hospital was facing shortage of staff including nurses, para-medics, Group ‘D’ and security personnel.

Professor posts in Super-Speciality subjects 

 More importantly, the Government had to fill up posts of Professors in various Super-Speciality subjects as per fresh guidelines of National Medical Commission (formerly Medical Council of India). All these years, they managed with Associate and Assistant Professors. But now they need to have Professors if the Institute wants to offer Post-Graduate courses. There are 11 Super-Speciality subjects and none of them have Professors for subjects concerned. “We have requested the Minister to expedite the matter in the interest of students,” he noted.

MRI scanner

The Director said since the intake of Mysore Medical College had increased from 150 to 250 students, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had made it mandatory to have its own MRI scanner. The existing one had been working on Public Private Participation (PPP) model which was not acceptable for the NMC. So, there was a need to buy it immediately. The Minister sought to know whether the Institute has funds to buy the machine or it wants the State Government to bear the cost. “Dr. Sudhakar promised to get back with a positive reply soon,” he said.

Renovation, no demolition

Dr. Nanjaraj said Public Works Department engineers who inspected the Mysore Medical College Boys Hostel on JLB Road which is in a dilapidated condition, have prepared an estimate for Rs.5.5 crore for renovation instead of total demolition of the Hostel building. There was no provision in the Government rules to demolish 50-plus years building. The Medical Education Department would decide who should foot the bill. Whether Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) or MMC&RI. The renovation work would be supervised by Karnataka Health Services Development Project. Already, the renovation of MMC Girls Hostel situated opposite to the Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry was in the finishing stage, he added.

He said the establishment cost of MMC&RI would be Rs.130 crore annually and fresh recruitment of doctors, nurses, para-medics and Group ‘D’ would cost another Rs.60 crore to Rs.70 crore annually. The Hospital charges Rs.10 per case at OPD and Rs.100 for in-patient. Major chunk of revenue would come from the daily rent of ward in Super-Speciality Hospital which has been fixed at Rs.1,200. But it was not possible to hike the special room rent in K.R. Hospital due to its pathetic condition. Hiking OPD charges would be an additional burden on poor people, he noted.

Senior officials from Medical Education Department attended the meeting.