Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has announced plans to install new dialysis machines in government facilities across three out of four administrative divisions in the state including Belgaum within the next month. In response to concerns raised about the challenges faced by patients due to inadequate maintenance of dialysis machines, the Minister revealed that a fresh tender had been finalized for appointing a new agency to manage government dialysis centers in Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Belagavi.
The government has taken corrective measures by penalizing and blacklisting the private agency responsible for managing the machines. For the Kalaburagi division, the bidding process has been “retendered,” and the government aims to finalize an agency soon. If necessary, the government is open to discussing the possibility of managing the dialysis centers independently.
Addressing the previous strike by government dialysis center staff, Minister Rao mentioned that the strike had been withdrawn after negotiations with the government. An agreement on salaries, as well as benefits like Employees State Insurance (ESI) and Provident Fund (PF), has been reached.
Until the new agency assumes responsibility, District Health Officers (DHO) have been instructed to manage the centers to ensure uninterrupted service for patients. Minister Rao also emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring the presence of technicians at all dialysis centers and the use of single-use units to prevent cross-infection.
In a separate response to concerns raised about cancer patients in Ballari, Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil acknowledged the challenges and expressed a willingness to discuss with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah the possibility of establishing a unit of the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Ballari. He highlighted the current facilities available at Vijaynagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) for cancer treatment, and while there is no exclusive cancer hospital within a 350 km radius, the government is open to considering the proposal for a Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology unit in Ballari in the upcoming budget.
