Kumta: The land allocated for the long-pending demand of Uttara Kannada district people for the construction of Multi-specialty hospital has been approved near Yakluya Model Residential School located on Hegde road in the town.

Land of 15.35 acres has been approved for Social Welfare Department on the decision to provide alternative land for Yakluya School. The foundation stone of the hospital will be laid by Chief Minister soon in the near future.

17-14-00 land situated at Survey No. 440 of Hegde village was allocated for Yakluya Model School under the auspices of the Social Welfare Department and the District DC also transferred the land to the Department for the purpose. The DC has now asked the Backward Classes Department to transfer the 15-35-00 acres of land on the same land for the proposed Multi Speciality Hospital to be built in Kumta. So the DC has approved the return of 15.35 acres of land to the Department of Social Welfare on the condition that an alternative land is provided for the school. On March 8, Social Welfare Department Upper Secretary Shambhulinga issued a circular informing about the land approval for the Multi Specialty Hospital.

As there is no well-equipped hospital in Uttara Kannada district, the patients were dependent on the hospitals in the neighbouring districts for advanced treatment.

For the past several years, there was a public demands for the construction of a multi specialty hospital in the district. 6 months ago, the youth of the district started a campaign on social media and attracted the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Public Health Minister, District Incharge Minister and Labor Minister Shivram Hebbar, including Member of Parliament Anant Kumar Hegde, Speaker Kageri and other members of the assembly.

The campaign and demands pressurized the government, which has confirmed the construction of the hospital. Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Dr. K Sudhakar had also marked the forest land near Mirzan in Kumta while visiting the district, but due to the delay in the transfer of land from the Forest Department, the foundation stone will be laid on the relevant land.