RAMANAGARA: The newly-constructed building of the district hospital was inaugurated on Thursday amid high drama even as BJP, Congress and JD(S) leaders shared the stage. Interestingly, the backdrop of the stage had no images of political leaders and only had the logos of the Karnataka government, the district administration, the zilla panchayat and the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Workers of the JD(S) raised a hue and cry that the inauguration was happening without the presence of local MLA Anitha Kumaraswamy. However, she arrived a little while later. Workers of the BJP and JD(S) also got into a verbal duel with the former raising ‘Modi, Modi’ slogans and the latter raising slogans in praise of former CM K D Kumaraswamy.
Kumaraswamy then appealed to the people not to raise slogans in favour of any leader to not politicise the issue and complicate matters.
Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, who arrived at the venue, lost his cool and demanded that the district deputy commissioner be summoned for not allegedly not extending the protocol to him.
He also got into a wordy duel with district minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan saying, “How is the deputy commssioner? Call him. Mr Minister, wait… Even I am a public representative and protocols apply to me too”. At this, Ashwath Narayan suggested that they could speak about it later. However, Suresh continued, saying “You are the district minister and you have been deputy CM, you should know protocols and give appropriate instructions”.
When Ashwath Narayan questioned who had stopped him from joining the even, Suresh insisted on protocols being followed. To this, Ashwath Narayan said all protocols are being followed.
During the inauguration, Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan was seen having a word with Congress MP D K Suresh while Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy were engrossed in conversation. All of them together also lit the lamp at the start of the event.
Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, who inaugurated the hospital, said two major health facilities, including the hospital at Ramanagara, and a Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Bidadi, built at cost of Rs 13 crore, were inaugurated on Thursday. Several leaders have worked for setting up the Rajiv Gandhi University for Health Sciences (RGUHS) campus in Ramanagara over the last 27 years and minister Dr Ashwath Narayan has pursued the matter dedicatedly. There is a need for a medical college, but the university had rejected it.
“Now, we have convinced the CM and Rs 100 crore has been set aside for it. By March 20, the CM himself will perform the ground-breaking ceremony”, he added.
District Minister Ashwath Narayan, in his address, acknowledged the efforts of the previous Congress government and the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in establishing the hospital.
Former CM H D Kumarasway said the hospital was his dream as he had announced it and set aside funds. “After the Congress came to power, land was allotted and the present BJP government has completed the project. This is a good message to society that all three parties have come together for public good”, he remarked.
Lok Sabha member D K Suresh said the district needs a trauma care centre and the present hospital also needs to be upgraded.