Andhra Pradesh: Kurnool General Hospital to get aid worth Rs. 350 Crore

KURNOOL: The Kurnool General Hospital (KGH), is in for a massive infrastructural leap forward with the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) in all likelihood giving Rs 350 Crore worth of aid to it, at the behest of the state government. This was revealed by Superintendent, Dr Veeraswamy while talking to the Hindu newspaper on Wednesday.

All the important departments of the hospital will be given funds to improve upon their infra structure and gradually transform and give the hospital the character of a super specialty hospital, he added.

A cancer therapy hospital recommended with an outlay of Rs 120 crore, has already been granted an inspected piece of land, on the premises and is likely to be ready in an year's time. The cancer facility is supposed to provide comprehensive treatment to nearly fifty chronic patients and about a dozen, infected of late by the illness.

The hospital's Cardiology and Cardio thoracic Departments have been given the state of the art facilities.Despite shortage of technicians and staff, the cardio thoracic surgeons have successfully conducted twenty eight surgeries. Staff shortage is likely to be overcome soon, with the necessary recruitment being done.

The government has also been forwarded approvals for a renal transplant unit in the Department of Nephrology with equipment costing Rs 15 crores and a demand for forty dialysis units accompanied with trained urologists. On a positive note, the Superintendent said the hospital would be able to perform renal transplants in the coming six months. He also emphasized on the need for a trauma block to be introduced in the neurosurgery wing.

Speaking about the Paediatrics Department, he said that the bed strength would be increased to forty and it would be given DM Neonatalogy seats, as well. The Maternal and Child Health Paediatric Surgery wing, he said had gained enough credibility to be sanctioned post graduate courses.

Rupees fifty five lac and approximately another crore have been released by the Hospital Development Society for procuring of equipment and generators in the MCH Department as well as the equipment for the Paediatric department and the starting of a new operation theater.

The Gastroenterology Department on the other hand as per the MCI directive is to get a three storey building for which District Collector Ch. Vijayamohan has sanctioned Rs. 1.50 crore to the department and the Director of Medical Education and A.P. State Medical and Health Infrastructure Corporation have been urged to give an additional Rs.1.50 crore, said Dr Veeraswamy

The Acute Medical Care unit is to undergo expansion with a budget of Rs.2.50 crore by setting up of ventilators, a central oxygen system and monitors.

This would help the unit to lend support to the surgical and general medicine wings. The laparoscopy surgery and trauma wings need strengthening too, he informed.

Talking of the Urology Department, Dr Veeraswamy professed that though it was equipped with world class equipment, it still called for infrastructural expansion worth Rs.10 crore for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy meant for breaking stones formed in the kidneys.

The Endocrinology and Neurology Departments also require additional funds, as the number of patients seem to be rapidly growing.

The central government meanwhile, has sanctioned Rs 6.50 crore for the plastic surgery wing for performing electroplastic surgeries for burn victims. However, an additional Rs. 3 crore is required for equipment, he added.

Kurnool General Hospital treats patients of Kurnool, Kadapa, Anantapur and Mahabubnagar districts, he added.