Mangalore : All district government hospitals in the taluk will be equipped with 24×7 generic medical centres. said Health and Family Minister U T Khader here on Wednesday Nov 5.

Chairing a meeting of Arogya Raksha Samithi at district Wenlock hospital he said that the hospital should be a model hospital in the district. The focus should be upon providing best heath services to patients.

Reviewing the proposals of the hospital towards various development works and other demands, he directed the officials concerned to identify a land to build emergency unit and medicine unit near the hospital premises. Land should be identified to construct a 220 bed emergency treatment ward and a state-of-the-art operation theatre, with the suggestion of expert doctors. The required grants will be provided by the department, after tabling the proposal in the cabinet meeting.

All district and taluk hospitals will be equipped with 24×7 generic medicine (medical centre), along with a public medical centre in the district hospitals. Generic drugs will be provided at a discount of 60 per cent while those in the public medicals will be made available to needy patients at 20 per cent discount. With the introduction of the system, the patients at the district hospital need not have to purchase medicine from outside, he said.

Further he said that the free treatment of Hemophilia and Thalassemia has been started at government hospitals in Bangalore and the necessary medicines are being provided by the department of health. Eight dialysis units have been made available at Wenlock hospital and the department will convert it into a state of the art dialysis unit.

District Surgeon and Wenlock district Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rajeshwari Devi H R expressed her concern over the alleged encroachment of 2.71 acre land, reserved for the Wenlock hospital staff quarters. The Minister directed to conduct a survey of the land.

The patients from Kerala have been availing treatment at Wenlock hospital, apart from the people from the 19 districts of the state. Among 25,000 in-patients admitted to the hospital, 2,600 belong to Kerala.

Producing of BPL card, they demand for free treatment, Dr Rajeshwari Devi said. Reacting to it, Minister U T Khader directed the superintendent to submit a report on the status of free treatment provided to Kannadigas in government hospitals in Kerala, before treating the people belonging to Kerala, in Wenlock hospital.

Orientation must be given to medical students in the hospital on providing information to the relatives of the patients, regarding the treatment and medicine. Else, the relatives will not have a clear idea on medication. Also, the mortuary staff should respond well to the problems of the relatives of the demised.

Arogya Raksha Samithi President MLA J R Lobo, DC A B Ibrahim, KMC Dean Dr M V Prabhu and others were present.