Common Man CM's budget to improve common man's Ease of Living: Health Minister

Bengaluru: The maiden budget presented by CM Basavaraj Bommai is a comman man's budget which focuses on Ease of Living, said Health and Medical Education Minister Dr.K.Sudhakar.

Speaking in Bengaluru, Dr.Sudhakar said," Today's budget formulated with a vision of Nava Karnataka for Nava Bharata (New Karnataka for New India) brings with it new energy and strength to our development trajectory, especially at a time when we are courageously fighting a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic. This Budget brings more infrastructure in health, education, agriculture, more investment, more growth and more jobs."

It is our government's endeavour to ensure that the people of Karnataka have access to top quality and affordable healthcare. This year's Budget has many provisions aimed at augmenting health infrastructure at all three levels - primary, secondary and tertiary. The budget also has laid out concrete steps to revamp our medical education system in the direction of making it more inclusive, accessible and affordable to all, he said.

The establishment of 438 'Namma Clinics' in all towns/cities and in all wards of BBMP will strengthen our primary healthcare system which is crucial in fighting non-communicable and lifestyle diseases (NCD) growing in urban areas. The mobile clinics planned to be set up in Bidar, Chamarajanagara, Haveri and Chikmamagaluru under 'Mukhyamamtri Arogya Vahini' scheme will help to take healthcare services to the doorsteps of people, especially in unserved and underserved areas. 300 women clinics will so be set up across the state to cater to the needs of women and girl children, Sudhakar said.

He said: 'To provide quality heart treatment in North Karnataka a regional centre of Jayadeva Institute will be set in Hubballi at a cost of Rs 250 crore. Kidwai regional centre will be set up in Belagavi at a cost of Rs 50 crore and 10 Infusion Centres will be set up at selected medical colleges to ensure quality cancer treatment across the state. Seven Taluk Hospitals will be upgraded to 100 bed hospitals and 4 super speciality hospitals will be set up in Bengaluru.

He said several significant steps have been announced in the budget to make medical education more inclusive, accessible and affordable to all. 200-bedded govt hospitals will be conveyed into teaching hospitals to accommodate more PG seats and we will seek NMC approval for this. Our government has also decided to categorise private medical institutions under four categories and regulate fees through an expert committee.

He said:' I thank CM Bommai for allocating Rs.3000 crores for Yettinahole project which which will provide permanent solution to drinking water scarcity of people of Chikkaballapur, Kolar and Bengaluru Rural districts. Overall the first Budget of CM Bommai combines futuristic vision with a definitive action plan for growth. CM must be congratulated for this pro-poor, pro-growth, pro-middle class, pro-youth and pragmatic Budget', added Sudhakar.