MP flags need for 650-bed hospital at proposed RGUHS medical college campus in Ramanagara

MP for Bengaluru Rural C.N. Manjunath has written to Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil and RGUHS Vice-Chancellor B.C. Bhagwan urging the government of Karnataka to construct a 650-bed hospital within the proposed medical college campus of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) at Archakarahalli in Bengaluru South district.

In separate letters, Dr. Manjunath said that, while the administrative block and the medical college buildings are under construction at an estimated cost of ₹600 crore with university funds, the project does not include a teaching hospital — a mandatory component for medical colleges under National Medical Commission (NMC) norms.

A file photo of Iqbal Hussain, MLA of Ramanagara constituency, presiding over the bhoomi puja at the RGUHS medical college campus at Ramanagara in Bengaluru South district of Karnataka on September 28, 2023.
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Ramanagara, he pointed out, being the district headquarters, requires a tertiary-care hospital attached to the college for both academic and public health reasons. Such a facility would help meet clinical training requirements and strengthen secondary and tertiary healthcare services for the district and surrounding rural areas.

The existing district hospital has 250 beds, and is located nearly 3 km from the new campus, posing challenges in integrating academic training, emergency care, and utilisation of manpower and facilities. “Otherwise, patients as well as faculty will be compelled to shuttle between the district hospital and the medical college campus, resulting in significant inconvenience and inefficiency,” he said.

Dr. Manjunath has requested the government of Karnataka and the university to re-examine the matter, and consider constructing a hospital within the campus, pointing out that sufficient land is available.