This year's state budget focusses on improving common man's ease of living: Karnataka Minister K Sudhakar

Reacting to the maiden budget presented by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday, state Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar asserted that the maiden budget presented by the Chief Minister is a common man's budget which focuses on ease of living.

According to the press release by state Health Minister, 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."

He further said that it is their government's job 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 added.

The state Health Minister also said that with the establishment of 438 'Namma Clinics' in all towns/cities and in all wards of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the primary healthcare system will strengthen and this will be 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 the '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," he further added.

For better heart treatment in North Karnataka, various hospitals are being planned to be set up in that region. K Sudhakar said, "A regional centre of Jayadeva Institute will be set in Hubballi at a cost of Rs250 crores."

He further stated that 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 added.

Several schemes have been announced in the budget to make medical education more inclusive, accessible and affordable to all.

"I thank CM Bommai for allocating Rs 3,000 crores for the Yettinahole project which will provide a permanent solution to drinking water scarcity of people of Chikkaballapur, Kolar and Bengaluru Rural districts," Sudhakar said.

( With inputs from ANI )