Udupi : Vinaykumar Sorake, Udupi District in-charge Minister and State Minister for Urban Development  has said that there were plans to increase the total bed capacity of the Udupi Government Hospital from the present 125 to 250 beds.

The minister was speaking to reporters after paying a  surprise visit to the hospital on June 8, Saturday along with Udupi MLA Pramod Madhwaraj. The minister who expressed his happiness over the condition of the hospital as well as the facilities offered to patients also spoke to patients and hospital staff.

He said  the problems confronting the hospital would be brought to the notice of the health minister.

District Surgeon Dr Ananth Nayak requested the minister to recruit additional 40 doctors to the hospital.

Udupi MLA Pramod Madhwaraj said he would  visit the hospital every month to inspect the condition of the hospital.

The minister and the MLA also spoke to a woman who was grief-stricken and enquired her problem. When she said there was no ambulance to take the body of her deceased husband to their native place Bagalkote, the minister directed the hospital to make the ambulance arrangement and assured that the cost of the ambulance travel will be me by the government.