CH NEWS
Shivamogga
The Karnataka government is preparing a comprehensive blueprint to transform Shivamogga into a major health hub catering to the entire Malnad region. In a high-level meeting held at Vikasa Soudha on Wednesday, Dr Sharanaprakash R Patil, Minister for Medical Education, skill development, entrepreneurship and livelihood along with School Education and Shivamogga district in-charge Minister Madhu Bangarappa, reviewed the infrastructure and service delivery at the Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) and Meggan Hospital. The Ministers jointly resolved to elevate the city into a full-fledged regional health hub.
A health hub model involves a cluster of medical institutions—including medical colleges, specialty, and super-specialty hospitals, designed to meet the complete healthcare needs of people from both the district and surrounding regions. With Shivamogga already having robust road, rail and air connectivity, the city is ideally positioned to serve as a healthcare centre for Malnad.
Just as Kalaburagi has been developed into a health hub for the Kalyana Karnataka region, Shivamogga will now serve as the medical backbone of Malnad, said Dr Patil. SIMS and Meggan hospitals are currently overcrowded, and doctors are working under tremendous pressure. We will infuse more funds to establish new specialty and super-specialty hospitals to relieve this burden and upgrade medical facilities in the region.
Minister Madhu Bangarappa emphasized that while Shivamogga district has only seven taluks, the patient load at SIMS and Meggan hospitals comes from 26 nearby taluks. To reduce pressure on these facilities and ensure quality care, establishing advanced specialty hospitals is a necessity, he added.
As part of immediate upgrades, the government also approved the procurement of an additional MRI machine and a new hearse van for Meggan Hospital.
