Police Commissioner S.D. Sharanappa inaugurated a health camp organised at United Hospital in Kalaburagi to mark its 14th anniversary on February 18.

Drawing a parallel between the police and medical professions, Police Commissioner S.D. Sharanappa said both sectors serve society in vital ways. “Doctors fight diseases and save individual lives, while the police fight social evils such as crime to safeguard society as a whole. Both professions are committed to ensuring a safe and healthy society,” he stated.

He was speaking after inaugurating a health camp organised at United Hospital in Kalaburagi to mark its 14th anniversary on February 18.

Lauding the hospital for making advanced healthcare accessible and affordable, Mr. Sharanappa observed that until a few years ago, patients from Kalaburagi had to travel to cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Solapur for specialised treatment, particularly in accident and trauma care.

“Today, quality critical care and advanced surgical facilities are available within the city. Institutions like United Hospital have significantly reduced the need for patients to seek treatment elsewhere,” he said. Noting that the hospital had performed nearly 40,000 surgeries in 14 years, he said the achievement reflected both public trust and the institution’s commitment to saving lives.

Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu highlighted the hospital’s association with the police department in organising road safety awareness drives and providing first-aid support. He said the hospital had consistently extended medical assistance to police personnel and the public throughout the year.

Chairman and managing director Vikram Siddareddy said that veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who had inaugurated the hospital 14 years ago, had emphasised on the urgent need for advanced accident and trauma care facilities in Kalaburagi to prevent avoidable deaths.

“Mr. Kharge was concerned about the lack of advanced medical facilities resulting in increased deaths of accident victims. He had urged us to build an institution capable of providing the most advanced healthcare services at affordable prices so that people need not travel to Solapur, Hyderabad, or Bengaluru. I can confidently say that we achieved that goal within a few years of establishment. Over the years, the hospital has saved tens of thousands of valuable lives,” Dr. Siddareddy said.

During the day-long camp, thousands of people underwent free consultations and diagnostic tests, including CT scans, ECG, 2D Echo, X-ray, ultrasound, blood investigations, and BMI assessments. Medicines prescribed during the camp were also distributed free of cost. Senior specialists from various departments were present.