Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network-Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Oct 30: Foundation was laid for Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Memorial Haji Abdullah Mother and Child Hospital in Udupi by chief minister Siddaramaiah by symbolically plating a sapling at the proposed hospital site near Alankar theatre on Sunday, October 30.
Later chief minister with the health minister Ramesh Kumar, Dr B R Shetty from BRS healthcare, district in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj and other dignitaries lighted the lamp at Town Hall in a brief foundation laying ceremony programme. The programme was jointly organized by district hospital, Health and family welfare department and BRS Healthcare and Research Institute.
In his welcome speech Pramod Madhwaraj said “I am happy to welcome you all to this programme. This is a happy occasion for the people of the district. But few people are unhappy and they are protesting. The project with an outlay of Rs 150 crore has only one intention of helping the poor and downtrodden,”
“The hospital is under the government and is managed by monitoring committee headed by deputy commissioner. Dr B R Shetty is investing the money with a good intention of helping the area where he was born and brought up. I am happy to be part of this pro-poor project. The chief minister has always been a man of poor people. He has always helped them to come up in life. He always had people friendly policies.” Madhwaraj added.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah speaking on the occasion said “I am aware about the small opposition to this project. Lack of right information and political benefit make them protest like this. This is not privatisation. This is only private and government mutual understanding for the benefit of poor people. Some are asking does not the government have the money. We have spent more than Rs 1, 63,000 crore for the welfare of people. Around Rs 7,000 crore has been spent only for medical and healthcare. In this particular case, we want the best possible efficiency. BRS Healthcare has the knowhow to give best services,"
“I am also told that some people from my own party Congress are opposing this project. But one should check whether they are still in Congress. As per my knowledge, they have not been active in the party in the recent past. The state government will continue its mission of helping the downtrodden in the society. 80% of the 135 promises made in the election manifesto have been fulfilled.” Siddaramaiah added.
Health minister Ramesh Kumar said “District hospital here and in Mangaluru namely Lady Goschen and Wenlock were not managed properly. Where were these people then, who are protesting now? We do not have any intention to go against people. Dr B R Shetty has come up with the best intention of helping people. The government is committed to provide the best healthcare in the state.”
Dr B R Shetty said “I was the vice-president of Council here long back. I know this place very well and I did a lot for the sanitation and drainage problems here those days with Dr V S Acharya. I love this place. That is why I am here. BRS Healthcare is one of the best in the world as per an International survey published from London. I do not have to make money from a project like this,”
“One day, I was shocked to see the condition of the district hospital and hence I gave a proposal to the government. I wanted to do some service to the society in memory of my mother. So this project has come up in her name. Only by providing a committed and selfless service, I can pay real tributes to the souls of my parents. Both the 200 and 400 bed proposed hospitals will run with the sole motive of service and nothing else. ”
C R Shetty, Shalini Rajneesh, Pratapchandra Shetty, Gopal Poojary, Ivan D’Souza, Abhayachandra Jain, Govind Raj, Meenakshi Madhav C Bannanje, Narasimha Murthy, deputy commissioner T Venkatesh, zilla panchayat CEO Priyanka Mary Francis and others were present.