Stuck in red tape, Municipality Maternity Hospital in Dharwad cries for redevelopment | Hubballi News
Dharwad: Municipality Maternity Hospital adjacent to the Old Central Bus Stand in Dharwad, owned by Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), was once regarded as a premier maternity care center catering to the needs of middle class and poor people, has gradually fallen into disrepair, thanks to the negligence by the authorities concerned.Efforts by Dharwad (Rural) MLA Vinay Kulkarni to get the hospital re-developed have been thwarted with the BJP-ruled HDMC rejecting a plan prepared at the instance of Vinay, citing ‘technical reasons’.MLA Vinay Kulkarni had proposed a redevelopment plan a few months ago. He even secured in-principle approval from the state govt to transform the facility into a 100-bed maternity hospital. The proposal was welcomed by the public, especially by rural families who rely on the hospital for maternity care.The hospital was once a bustling facility for deliveries and now it stands in a dilapidated state with leaking roofs, crumbling walls and the ever-looming threat of structural collapse.Due to the unsafe condition of the building, HDMC suspended inpatient services four years ago. Currently, only out-patient check-ups are conducted here.The core issueAt a recent public meeting in Kittur, MLA Kulkarni stated that he was willing to secure funding to upgrade the hospital. The revamped 100-bed facility, he said, would reduce the burden on the district hospital and significantly benefit hundreds of women from rural areas who travel to Dharwad for deliveries.Initially, the HDMC responded positively to the plan. However, the state govt stipulated that it could only allocate funds for upgrading the hospital, if it was officially transferred to the health department. HDMC is not agreeing to this condition.Former mayor Ramanna Badiger, during whose tenure the proposal was first discussed, emphasised that while the HDMC supported the redevelopment, it was unwilling to hand over the ownership to the health department. “If the hospital is transferred, the corporation loses its property rights and administrative control. Instead, we urge the govt to take the hospital on lease and carry out the upgrade,” he said.HDMC commissioner Rudresh Ghali confirmed that a proposal regarding the hospital’s redevelopment was under review. “It will be presented before the HDMC general body. Based on the House’s decision, the proposal will be forwarded to the state govt,” he said.Currently, the hospital is operating with just three doctors and three nurses. According to staff members, over 120 pregnant women visit the hospital every day for check-ups. If it is to be upgraded into a full-fledged maternity center, staff strength needs to be increased by at least five-fold.With the matter now in the hands of the new mayor Jyothi Patil who hails from Dharwad, all eyes are on HDMC.
