Yet another health city

Yet another health city
BMC and affiliated hospitals are getting ready for a massive makeover, writes Prathima Nandakumar
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: For over half a century, the Bangalore Medical College (BMC) and the five hospitals attached to it have rendered steady service to the city. Now, a major makeover will create a ‘health city for the common man’. A Rs 120-crore project will upgrade the Victoria Hospital; Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital; Minto Ophthalmic Hospital and Research Institute; Vani Vilas Hospital, and SDS Tuberculosis and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in the next 21 months.
The massive investment follows the autonomous status granted to the BMC by the state government last January. The project is jointly funded by the Centre and state government. “The project is finally taking off in March. While all five hospitals attached to BMC have something to look forward to, a new super-specialty block in Victoria Hospital premises and a trauma care centre and ICU facility at Bowring Hospital will be completed over the next 21 and 18 months respectively,’’ said Dr G T Subhash, director and dean, BMC.
The super-specialty block will be spread across six new floors. The project will be executed by an agency outsourced by the Centre at a cost of Rs 100 crore. “The new block will have disciplines like neurology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, paediatric surgery and thoracic surgery. The state’s matching grant of Rs 20 crore will help upgrade the trauma facility, though the state government has committed Rs 80 crore,’’ added Dr Subhash.
The project will upgrade the college and its hospitals to the standard of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The focus will be on delivering better patient care, encourage educational and research activity.
“We have sent a proposal for upgrading the existing ICU and trauma care facilities. We have five ICU beds and hope to set up 10 ICUs, 10 Step 1 ICUs and 20 trauma units each in both Victoria and Bowring Hospitals,’’ added Dr Subhash.
Now, BMC is faced with a new challenge — of filling up huge vacancies in both medical and non-medical posts. “We can directly recruit staff now. However, the process will take some time as the need is enormous. There are 40% vacancies (601 teaching posts), while a large number of existing staff is on deputation from the medical education department. We have reshuffled the staff to suit our needs as newer specialties and facilities demand increased manpower. To assess the actual number of vacancies, we need to know how many staff on deputation will choose to stay back. Once that is clear, all doctors on BMC’s rolls will be eligible for the salary hike granted to the autonomous colleges,” he explained.
VICTORIA HOSPITAL
Two tower blocks Location: Master Plan Building Planned: VIP/ General wards to accommodate 400 patients, Seminar Hall, Doctor’s room.
Cost: Rs 8 crore.
Casualty, Trauma, OPD and Emergency Block Location: Jail ward (which will be demolished) Planned: Eight new floors with OPD blocks, OTs, ICU, CT Scan, X-ray, VIP/General wards for 300 beds.
Cost: Rs 8 crore.
Second floor for ENT Block Location: Venkateshwara ENT Block Planned: Major OT, ICU, Lab, Seminar Hall, Wards. Cost: Rs 1.2 crore.
Super-specialty Eye Hospital Location: Minto Hospital Planned: Six floors to accommodate 150 patients (in addition to existing 250 patients) with facilities for vitreo, retina, glaucoma, cornea and eye bank, consultation, labs, OTs.
Cost: Rs 5 crore.
Additional floor for Cornea and Retina OT complex Location: Cornea grafting and retina block, VH campus Planned: OTs and special wards. Cost: Rs 1 crore. VANI VILAS HOSPITAL
Waiting hall Location: VV Compound Planned: Waiting hall for patient attendants on ground floor, office and stores.
Cost: Rs 50 lakh.
SDSTB AND RAJIV GANDHI CHEST DISEASES, JAYANAGAR
500-bed hospital Location: SDSTB, Jayanagar Planned: Ground plus two floors to house 500 beds and major and minor OTs, ECG, specialty clinic, X-Ray, ICU, Seminar Hall, DOTS Centre, chest trauma wards, disaster management wards.
Cost: Rs 4.3 crore Additional funds needed: Rs 5.09 crore.
OTHERS
BMC to have indoor stadium with facilities for badminton, gymnasium, table tennis, etc: Rs 1.30 crore. BMC Museum, examination hall, demonstration room: Rs 1.2 crore. Nursing college to get new classrooms, labs, library and examination hall; Rs 1 crore. PG ladies’ hostel to get third floor (12 rooms): Rs 60 lakh. Nursing hostel to get 60 new rooms with dining hall, kitchen, store: Rs 3 crore. BSC nursing ladies’ hostel to get 40 rooms, dining hall, kitchen: Rs 1.2 crore. New BMC ladies’ UG hostel with 35 rooms, kitchen, dining (4 floors): Rs 1.20 crore. Nurses’ quarters, 80 two-bedroom flats: Rs 6 crore. Annexe to BMC Gents’ Hostel with ground plus 6 floors to accommodate 192 students: Rs 6 crore. Remodelling of roads and footpaths in Victoria Hospital campus: Rs 1 crore.