Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah lays the foundation stone for Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute

Bengaluru: Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah lay the foundation stone for Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute recently . This medical institution is the 17^th state Government Medical College, and the city's 2nd, with metro connectivity.

Speaking at the ceremony, Siddaramaiah said, "The tender process is over. The cost of the project is Rs 200 crore. I have asked the medical education minister to take the MCI's approval and have it functioning from 2018 itself. I will also speak to the BMRCL MD for Metro connectivity to both Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and HSIS Gosha Hospital."

With 10 functional medical colleges in the state, work on six others has been undertaken and another six sanctioned. "Every district will have a medical college. We have sanctioned medical colleges for Yadgir, Haveri, Bagalkot, Chikkaballapur and Chikkamagaluru districts. Despite competing to study in government medical colleges, these students do not work in government hospitals after becoming doctors," he said.

The college will have a student strength of a 150. "Karnataka students should get a majority of the seats," the CM added. He also heaped praise on Shivajinagar, MLA, Roshan Baig. "He (Baig) insisted that the city have a second medical college as the population is more than a crore," he added. The Chief Minister announced that Mr. Baig had promised that there would soon be a trauma care unit at Bowring Hospital, to be built at a cost of '14 crore.

Health Minister, K R Ramesh Kumar who also spoke on the occasion, speaking about charges of him being against private medical establishments told TNIE, "I am not against the medical profession or against private doctors. I urge you not to value the words of those who say government hospitals are of inferior quality. Government hospitals are second to none. Some just feel like that because the services are free."

Provisions in the proposed Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College include:

• Medical College Main Administrative Block


• Nursing College


• Girls Hostel for Medical College


• Girls Hostel for Nursing College


• Nursing Quarters