Bhatkal: Karnataka Health and Family Welfare, Minority Welfare, Haj and Wakf Minister U T Khader said a dedicated Mother and Child Care (MCC) block would be established at Bhatkal Taluk Hospital to improve healthcare services and ease the pressure on the existing facility.
Speaking to the media in Bhatkal, Khader said the government was considering increasing the hospital's bed capacity as the facility was facing pressure from a growing number of patients.
“The hospital currently has a sanctioned capacity of 100 beds, but more than 130 patients are often admitted, resulting in a shortage of space,” Khader said.
He said Bhatkal MLA Mankal Vaidya had also raised the demand for expanding the hospital's capacity.
Khader said that as per government norms, steps would be taken to establish a separate mother and child care unit if the hospital records more than 100 deliveries a month. The proposed facility would particularly focus on the management and treatment of high-risk cases involving pregnant women and newborns.
The dedicated block would provide maternity and newborn care facilities under one roof while reducing the patient load on the main hospital, he said. The facility is also expected to benefit people from Bhatkal and surrounding rural areas.
Khader said there was a shortage of hospitals providing quality healthcare services in the coastal belt between Kumta and Baindur, making Bhatkal Taluk Hospital an important healthcare centre for people in the region.
The government would take steps to strengthen the hospital by providing the required infrastructure and facilities, he said.
Khader added that a meeting involving MLA Mankal Vaidya and senior officials would be held soon to finalise plans for the proposed Mother and Child Care block and other hospital development projects.
Responding to a question, the minister also said that the foundation stone for a Haj Bhavan in coastal city Mangaluru would be laid soon. The proposed facility would also function as a multipurpose Islamic centre, he said.
MLA Mankal Vaidya, Anjuman president Yunus Kazia, Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem president Inayatullah Shabandri, Dr Zubair Kola, Altaf Kharuri and Adam Panambur were among those present.