Mysuru:  District in-Charge and PWD Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa felt that the role of private hospitals was very important in the implementation of national health programmes of maintaining public health.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Founder’s Day and the 44th anniversary of Kamakshi Multi-speciality Hospital in Kuvempunagar, here yesterday and said that through the government, 40 per cent of people have been provided health care and the remaining are getting treated at private hospitals. However, the primary health centres are not able to treat even 30 per cent of the patients. Hence, in this direction, the private hospitals should play a major role in the implementation of national health schemes, he urged.

The tabling of the “The Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill-2017,” recently in the Assembly has caused anxious moments for the private hospitals. Understanding this, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has sent it for review. Hence, the doctors need not feel anxious, he said.

Kamakshi Hospital is rendering yeoman services. It should be a role model for the other hospitals once the Bill is introduced, he said.

The hospital started by B.  Madhava Shenoi and his wife Sulochana Bai in 1975 has grown from a 22-bed hospital to a 220-bed multi-speciality hospital. It is also laudable that the hospital is run by a Trust at affordable costs. Every doctor tries to save the life of a patient till the last breath, but without understanding this, people make allegations against doctors, said Dr. Mahadevappa.

Nurses Elsy, Sunanda Hegde and Bharati who have served in the Hospital for 25 years were felicitated on the occasion. Even the students who had scored high marks in SSLC and PUC examinations held recently including G. Abhinandan, P. Soujanya, Namrata, Poornima and Srinivas were honoured.

Hospital’s Senior Trustee M. Vinod Rao, Managing Trustee Mahesh Shenoi, Joint Managing Trustee Ashok Shenoi, Trustee Vishwanath Rao, Administrator Dr. K.R. Kamath, Medical Superintendent Dr. C. Umesh Kamath and others were present.