Mangaluru, Aug 2, 2025: Karnataka's Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada District In-Charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao, has disclosed plans for the groundbreaking of a state-of-the-art Outpatient Department (OPD) block at the Wenlock District Hospital, scheduled for November. The project, allocated ₹70 crore by the state government, will be overseen by the Kasturba Medical College (KMC) in Mangaluru. The new facility is set to replace the current, dilapidated OPD structure and enhance healthcare services for the 13 districts that depend on the hospital. Addressing the Arogya Raksha Samiti at the hospital on Friday (August 1), Rao underscored the necessity of upgrading medical infrastructure to meet patient needs.
Addressing Staff Shortages and Patient Care
Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has issued a directive to the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) to guarantee the presence of senior doctors in Outpatient Departments (OPDs) during the afternoon, in light of complaints regarding their unavailability. He also emphasized the importance of empathetic treatment towards patients by both government and KMC medical staff.
Additionally, Arogya Raksha Samiti member Abdul Kareem highlighted the current nursing shortage and called for the recruitment of an additional 100 nurses to improve patient care. The KMC has informed that there are currently 469 staff members, comprising of nurses and sanitation workers, stationed at the hospital, with a proposal for an extra 75 nurses already on the table. In response to these concerns, Rao assured that the government would step in to provide the necessary nursing personnel to address the shortfall effectively.
Enhanced Facilities and Reduced Charges
The minister recently declared that the hospital's cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) is set to become operational, providing complimentary angioplasty and stenting services to Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders. As part of this initiative, the cost of angiograms, which currently stand at ₹5,000, will be waived. Additionally, stent prices for Above Poverty Line (APL) patients are to be reduced significantly, with single stent procedures decreasing from ₹60,000 to ₹42,000 and the cost of two stents lowered from ₹85,000 to ₹59,500.
Furthermore, the minister addressed concerns regarding high CT and MRI scan rates by pledging government-managed scanning facilities at Wenlock and Lady Goschen hospitals. This move aims to offer these services at more affordable rates. The announcement also included a reduction in bed charges within the new surgical block's fourth floor, with ventilator-equipped beds seeing a drop from ₹550 to ₹450 per day and non-ventilator beds from ₹300 to ₹250.
During the meeting, the formation of an exclusive Arogya Raksha Samiti for Lady Goschen Hospital was touched upon, as was the intention to clear the outstanding ₹1.73 crore in payments for medicines and supplies under the Janani Suraksha, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) for the fiscal year 2024-25. Notable attendees at the meeting included Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Chairman Sadashiva Ullal, District Collector Darshan HV, and Zilla Panchayat (ZP) CEO Vinayak Narwade.
Keywords: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao addressing the Arogya Raksha Samiti meeting at Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru, announcing new OPD block construction.