MANGALORE, Jan 12 (The Hindu): Students of Kasturba Medical College (KMC) will have greater access to patients at Wenlock and Lady Goshen government hospitals here. A memorandum of understanding will be inked soon. The management of the college will also be represented on the district Arogya Suraksha Samiti, which presently consists of elected representatives and bureaucrats.

In exchange, the college will invest on improving facilities at these hospitals, besides deputing doctors, nurses and technical staff.

Revealing this after presiding over a meeting with senior government doctors in the district and representatives of the KMC here on Monday, Minister for Medical Education Ramachandra Gowda said, “This deal will solve all problems of the Lady Goshen and Wenlock hospitals.”

Once the deal is through, there will be no need for the Government to fill the numerous vacant posts in these hospitals. It need not take up the construction of a new complex at Lady Goshen Hospital. The proposed new building is expected to house a blood bank, an intensive care unit and a few wards. “Once the Chief Minister approves it, we can have the new building in a year’s time,” said Yogish Bhat, MLA, who was present on the occasion.

The two hospitals, which cater for patients from many districts in both Kerala and Karnataka, are facing a severe staff shortage. According to District Surgeon J. Prabhudeva, who is in charge of Wenlock Hospital, there is a shortage of over 200 nurses in his hospital alone. All these vacancies will be filled by the KMC. Even security and maintenance will be taken over by the KMC.