Mangaluru : District In-charge, Health and Family Welfare Minister K R Ramesh Kumar said he will take steps to ensure that government hospitals serve poor properly.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said the government hospitals are disease stricken and they need proper treatment.

The minister said, “Poor cannot go to private hospitals. Hence, they come to the government hospitals. But the government hospitals have become lifeless.”

Kumar said he has received some information from officials about the schemes of the Health and Family Welfare Department, grants and other issues.

He said he still has to know a lot about the department. Many good schemes of the department are not reaching poor, he added.

Kumar said the department gets a grant of Rs 1,300 crore per year and the problems of the poor have not yet ended.

“I am learning about the loopholes of the department slowly. I will provide a proper treatment once get full information. I have the responsibility of other departments as well,” he said.

The minister said the government is “very much alive” and “people are our property.”
He said, “The government has the responsibility of protecting the people’s lives and their health. My responsibility is to respond to their pain. Time will decide how differently I will discharge my duty.”

Kumar said there is no question of compromise in the issue of the district’s development. Priority will be given to water problem, establishment of a university centre and agriculture. “I will take elected representatives, officials and Congress workers into confidence and strive hard for the development of the district.”

Responding to illegalities reported from hostels belonging to Social Welfare Department in the district, he said the issue has come to his notice. “The officials involved in the illegalities cannot escape. I will certainly take disciplinary action against them. I am in the public life for many years. I won’t budge to any pressure or influence.”

Legislators S N Narayanaswamy and G Manjunath, Deputy Commissioner Dr K V Trilok Chandra and SP Dr Divya Gopinath were present.

‘Rebellion natural in politics’
Ramesh Kumar said dissidence and rebellion are natural in politics.

He said some MLAs are unhappy over the reshuffling of the Cabinet. “The reshuffling of the Cabinet cannot be stopped just because of rebellion. The crisis which has erupted after the Cabinet reshuffle will be solved, he added.