TOURISM AND HEALTH

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Title: TOURISM AND HEALTH
extracted text: jucnii iy

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"Benny Kufuvi!l<=i, EQUATIONS" <bennyK@6C|uitabletourism.org>
' Benny Kuruviiia. EQUATIONS" <bennyK@equitabietourism org>
Tuesday, January 27, 2004 11:43 AM
Statement of Concern of the Tourism Interventions Group at the 4 thWorld Social Forum

From
to Porto Alcsre
Staisnisnt ofCZonc-m

of ihe Tourism interventions Group at the 4ih World Social Forum
rv'xxO iCSii v bdlCxitS liGi'i'i 1 0111*1511,.

We, the Tourism Interventions Group, at the 4th World Social Forum (WSF) in

Mumbai (16-21 Jau. 2004) declare our commitment to change ihe character of
global tourism towards a tourism that is just and equitable for people in

UwSt.nat.0Uo. Ut.. interventions ^including an intercontinental dialogue on
Tourism and four seminars) brought tourism issues to the forefront of the
WSF agenda
Through testimonies of community struggles and initiatives, we highlighted a
■ponses to globalised tourism at ihe grassroots. Our

interventions at WSF provided a platform for a meaningful intercon linen tai
dialogue on the social, economic, political, cultural and environmental
impacts Oi tourism.

In an 'Activists Strategy Meeting on Tourism' (Mumbai. 22-23 Jan. 2004,

hosted by ihe Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism -ECOT) vve evaluated ihe
impacts of our interventions and committed ourselves to carrying forward the

momentum to the next WSF at Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2005. The Strategy
Meeting emphasised the need for wine dissemination of rhe news of our
successful interventions at Mumbai. Discussions on future actions will be

shared with communities, movements, network partners and other groups. Il
was also decided to form the Global Tourism Interventions Forum, which would
take forward this important work.
Wc decided to strengthen and uphold the grassroots perspectives of tourism,
which position our interventions against those of the World 1 ourisin
Oraanization (WTO-OMT), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and other
mainstream definitions of tourism policy and development. As the WTO-OMT is

now a specialised UN agency, we will address its new mandate and take
forward civil society engagements to democratise tourism.
a primary concern is foe. undemocratic nat ure of the ongoing negotiations, jn

iii experiences Irom the grassroots on the environmental and social costs of
tourism 1 ' inform die negclimmg positions of governments and underline the

need for a rollback in the negotiations.
i xighiiiihtii’iu tourism issues nitiun a multitude of anti-globalisation and
human richts movements such as those related to women, children, dalits,
indigenous people, migrants, unorganised labour, small island, mountain and

1/28/04

Page 2 of 2
COuSvui CGlimirLtii-iilOS, aO vvvii nS struggles idu-tCC* to lolid, watcr and access
to natural resources, is crucial to sharpen local struggles and community
initiatives of those impacted by tourism. Networking is at the core of
fuitue sirategising io identify areas of common concern, forge alliances
with like-minded individuals, organisations and movements and influence
tourism policy agendas. Democracy, transparency and corporate and
governmental accountability in tourism will be placed high on the agenda for
concerted action and strategic interventions.

From our experiences of working on tourism issues we are extremely sceptical
oboiii ths cleinis oftourism being 2 provider 01 jobs 2nd earner of Foreign

exchange. We are concerned lhai the actual benefits that finally reach
people in destinations arc negligible compared to the profits of
transnational vourism corporations. Leakages constitute a major loss of
income for host communities and countries. At the same time it is local
communities who bear the costs of tourism development in terms of social,
cultural and environmental impacts.
At the next WSF in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2005, wc will continue to
highlight critical issues in tourism. We look forward to working in
solidarity with local community representatives, activists and researchers
from various parts ol the world to strengthen our struggle and develop
strategies for a tourism that is equitable, people-centred, sustainable.
ecolosdenlly sensible, cniln°fnendlv mid. gender-just.

x or tho j. OiiriSiii IxitOi vcntions Cjroup*

EQUATIONS (India)
ECUMENICAL COALITION ON TOURISM (Hong Kong SAR- China)
TOURISM WATCH (Germany)
ARBEITSKREIS TOURISMUS UND ENTWICKLUNG (AKIB) - (Switzerland)

Bonny Kumvilla
EQUATIONS
PO BOX 7512
NEW THEPr ASANDRA
BANGALORE 560075 INDIA
tel &■ FAX : 91.SO. 524-19°° 5~.'!7127. 5247128
nennykr'tyeqiiitab'ietourism.org

C.ot*\ VA _ ^3

CHRYSSA
AL-MARZOUQI
DUBAI GASTRO
ESOPHAGEAL REFLEX
TREATED AT SIR GANGA
RAM HOSPITAL, DELHI
For the last six years
I have been suffering.
Up one [in the US and
France] gave me the

the CII, is looking into the scope
of medical tourism. In Mumbai the
Federation of Indian Chambers of
?rceandIndustryfonnedjS22msmber council for promotion of
medical tourism last year.
The government, which is
launching' an international ad
campaign next month, too has
recognised the potential of the
industry. A few months ago, Union
Minister of State for Tourism, Renuka
Chowdhury', said in Parliament that
medical tourism \vas an evolving
concept and some states—like Andhra
Pradesh,
Kerala,
Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Delhi—with medical
facilities of international standards
were promoting it. Karnataka has been
showcasing its health sendees at travel
ijftts in Bahrain and the UK. “We

out advertisements which said
Rahul Dravid invites you home,” said
Mahendra Jain, Karnataka’s commi
ssioner for tourism.
Patients, on their part, are
spreading the good word about Indian
health care. Bugingo, like Proffitt, is
planning to write about his stay in
India. Helen Collie of Seychelles will
make her three children read herdiaty
on her month-long treatment at
Apollo Chennai for cancer. “It has
some great memories [of India],” said
Collie, 55. It has recipes of Indian food
as well. “I love Indian food, especially
mutton biryani” she said. Mohamed
Raza Habib J. Jaffer of Burundi
recommended Amrita Institute, where
his 10-year-old son Ali Hussain’s

right answer.

cancer was treated, to some of his
friends and sponsored their treatment.
Tour operators say medical tourism
as an industry is yet to take off. “There
have to be clear-cut guidelines on the
role, the responsibility and liabilities
of a tour operator,” said an official of
Thomas Cook, a major player. “There
would be tie-ups with insurance firms,
medical institutions in India as well as
overseas.” Said Rajeev Kohli,
marketing director of Pacific Asia
Travel Association, “This sector has a
lot of potential and we are planning to
tap it. As it is not just tourism we are
being careful. We are planning to come
out with a brochure on it so that we
could promote it in Germany, the US
and the UK.”
But many feel that without
adequate government help, India may

lose but to other countries. It is already
behind Thailand, which had one
million foreign patients last year.
“They' are marketing themselves well,”
said Pramod H. Lele, CEO of P.D.
Hinduja National Hospital and
Medical Research Centre, Mumbai.
“The government supports them and
for success that is very important.”
The government has assured
support but it will take some time. The
tourism ministry is developing a logo
to mark out ministry-approved centres
of health care. “It will be one way of
saying they are tourist-friendly,” said
Chowdhury, whose department has
brought out a CD on ancient healing
methods.
“If it [health care] has quality, it will
earn a lot of forex, which can, in turn,
sustain
infrastructure,”
said
Ramadoss. “The money we earn there
can be used to develop the rural sector.”
But to attract richer customers,
infrastructure has to improve. And as
Vishal
Bali,
vice-president
(operations) of Wockhardt Hospitals,
said, ranting about cheap facilities
could put off patients from rich
countries. “We should not just talk
about providing cheaper facilities,” he
said. “We have to establish brand
India." Health brings in wealth, too. ♦
Oct 31,2004 EB3E3 27

ConA H- 9-3.
SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA

Envisaging a healthy growth
The state-run health care system in Karnataka is striving hard to overcome problems such as regional
disparities and regain its former standards. At the same time, health services in the private sector,
especially the multi-speciality hospitals, have earned a reputation for themselves.
RAVI SHARMA

in Bangalore

HE Princely State of Mysore was a
pioneer in basic health care. In 1806,
it was perhaps the first State in the country
to take up a vaccination drive against small
doc The State administration set up a
^wrnmcnt hospital in Bangalore in
1846 rhe
public health unit in Man
eb. •
192<-: and the world’s first two birch
ccpiiol clinics in 1930. But after Indo
prndence, d-c State of Karnataka, which
cbcrns out around 1,800 doctors every
y.-'-i. has been striving to keep up with
those standards, especially in the rural ar
eas.
Karnataka, like any other State, is full
of regional, even sub-regional disparities
in the matter of development. The healdi
infrastructure in certain regions, most no
tably the State’s capital. Bangalore, and to
a lesser extent the coastal towns of Man ga
lore and Manipal, has developed well but
other areas, especially the rural areas where

60 per cent of the population lives and the
northern districts, have not received suffi
cient attention from the government and
the private sector.
Overall, the Stare has a crude birth
rate of 22 (for every 1,000 of the pop
ulation), a crude death rate of 7.2, an in
fant mortality rate of 55 per 1,000 live
births, a maternal mortality rate of 195 per
one lakh live births and a total fertility rate
(the number of children bom to a woman
during her reproductive years) of 2.2.
The State’s Health and Family Wel
fare Services has 8.143 sub-centres (that is,
one for 5.000 people), 581 Primary
Health Units (PHUs), 1,679 Primary
Health Centres (PHCs), 19 mobile units,
7,304 maternity annexes, 17 urban PHCs
and 110 Community Health Centres.
While the doctor-population ratio is
1:10,260, the bed to population ratio is
1:1,220. In a novel scheme to improve
services, the government has allowed 14
PHCs to be managed by medical colleges
and trusts. At these PHCs, 75 per cent of

the staff salary is paid by the government
and 25 per cent by the private entrepre
neur.
There are 87 Urban Family Welfare
Centres, 124 Urban Health Centres and
24 district-level and 149 taluk-level hospi
tals. There are 51 other hospitals, includ
ing super-speciality hospitals, which treat
illnesses like cancer, heart ailments and
tuberculosis. As part of the World Bankfunded Karnataka Health Systems Pro
ject, the State government has over the
past seven years strengthened and upgrad
ed at a cost of Rs.624 crores die infrastruc
ture in 204 of its taluk and district
hospitals. As a consequence, six govern
ment hospitals have won ISO-9002 certi
fication. Under the project, user charges
are levied in taluk and district hospitals,
non-clinical services in some hospitals
have been privatised and 44 primary trau
ma care centres established to provide
emergency services to accident victims.
Treatment is free for those below the
poverty line (BPL) for almost all services

The Vanivilas hospital, one of the oldest hospitals run by the Karnataka government.
FRONTLINE, SEPTEMBER 10, 2004

91

SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA
in the State government hospitals. For
specialised treatments such as cardiac sur
geries, BPL families can get up to
Rs.50,000 from the Chief Minister’s Re
lief Fund. The government has also been
sanctioning Rs.50,000 twice a year to
each of the district hospitals, which can
use the fund to buy from the private sec
tor medical services that are not available
with them.
There are around 22,000 practising
doctors in the State. Of them, 4,197 are
working in the State’s health institutions
and about 15,000 in the private sector.
The total bed strength in government

Karnataka has slipped from the sixth
place to the seventh in the Human Devel
opment Index. And on most human de
velopment indices, Karnataka is barely
above the all-India average.
In a bid to achieve the “Millennium
Development Goals”, the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government has
decided to make primary health care (and
primary education) the focus of its devel
opment effort. Presenting the new gov
ernment's first Budget, Deputy Chief
Minister Siddaramaiah announced an in
crease in the Plan outlay for the health
sector from Rs.333 crores to Rs.377

The Bangalore Mahanagar Palike’s referral hospital at Hosahalli in Bangalore.

health institutions is 43,479 while their
outpatient departments serve 60,000 pa
tients every day. There are nearly 2,000
hospitals in the private sector, which in
terestingly have as many beds as the state
sector.
According to officials, the shortage of
doctors and supervisory staff, financial
crunch and an ever-increasing population
are some of the major reasons for the state
sector’s inability to provide a more effec
tive health delivery system. The shortage
of doctors, especially specialists, and hinds
forced the government to hand over in
April 2002 pan of the management of the
Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in
Raichur to Apollo Hospitals. Under an
agreement, the Karnataka government
pays for the maintenance cost of Rs.3
crores to Rs.4 crores a year.
As a result of the funds crunch only a
half of the State’s 8,154 sub-centres have
permanent buildings.
92

crores, which would be utilised to im
prove taluk-level hospitals and the med
ical infrastructure in impoverished
northern Karnataka. The enhanced out
lay should partly stabilise the State’s fall
ing public health expenditure, which had
fallen from 1.02 per cent of the gross state
domestic product (GSDP) in 1999 has
fallen to 0.7 per cent in 2004. Ideally it
should reach 2 per cent of GSDP.
Under the Rs.765-crore World Bankassisted ‘Health, Nutrition and Popula
tion (HNP) Project’ the government
hopes to improve and extend the primary
health care system. The focus of the fiveyear programme “is to increase access to
health care for the rural poor and the un
derprivileged, and to strengthen primary
health care with community participa
tion”.
Says Mohamed Sanaulla, Commis
sioner, Health and Family Welfare Ser
vices: “Our aim is to stabilise and improve

facilities. It is a misnomer to say that the
services at government hospitals are not
good. In fact, our understanding is that,
especially in the rural areas, the level of
satisfaction among the people is better
with the government health service. Peo
ple are even prepared to pay ‘unregistered’
(bribe) expenses.”

N a bid to ensure effective primary,
secondary and tertiary health delivery
systems in the State, successive Karnataka
governments have implemented a num
ber of measures. The HNP Project seeks
to improve the services at the 1,679
PHCs. To be implemented in three dis
tricts as a pilot project, this will also aim at
increasing public-private participation
and
jpg a11 i.m\i rance scheme^#
rhe common people, with the govern
ment subsidising the premiums.
The Rs.30-crore World Bank-aided
integrated Disease Surveillance Project,
spread over five years, is designed to gath
er initially information regarding com
municable diseases such as malaria,
cholera, gastroenteritis and typhoid. In
formation on non-communicable diseases
like cancer and hypertension, and trauma
care will be compiled later. An informa
tion technology network has already been
established at the taluk and district levels.
The information thus gathered from the
district, State and national levels will be
analysed and utilised for more effective
diagnosis, management and prevention of
communicable diseases.
The State is also giving shape to the
Rs.l5-crore European Union-funded
Drug Logistics and Warehousing Projt^^
under which 14 warehouses will be set^B
in the districts. The current system of in
denting for packages would be replaced
by the indenting for drugs. As part of it
telemedicine programme, five private spe
ciality hospitals are being connected via
satellite to 25 district and four taluk hos
pitals. The system is functioning in two
hospitals. The private hospitals have of
fered free consultations. The Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) has set up
the satellite link at a cost of Rs.35 crores.
Karnataka is also hoping to improve
the birth rate, infant mortality and ma
ternal mortality parameters in the State
when the Government of India’s Repro
ductive and Child Health-Phase II pro
gramme is implemented in 2005- 3 he
State government has set up regional diag
nostic laboratories in seven districts to
conduct sophisticated tests, including CT
scans. ■

I

FRONTLINE, SEPTEMBER 10. 2004

Karnataka State Aids
Prevention Society
Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) was established in the year 1999.
The main objective of the KSAPS is to help prevent HIV/AIDS epidemic and to create
massive awareness against this disease. Since then KSAPS has been in the forefront in
facing this epidemic that threatens to slow down economic growth and reduce life
expectancy. National AIDS Control Organisation, Government of India and Government
of Karnataka have been supporting all the efforts of KSAPS to combat HIV/AIDS.
Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society has been constantly striving to improve delivery of

services.

The following are the few important services offered by KSAPS
^5’i. VCTC - Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre

To Whom Any person can voluntarily visit these centres to know about
their HIV status. Doctors can refer cases when they doubt
about high risk, behaviours and symptoms.
^Biere
At all District level hospitals. In some Medical College
Hospitals and selected Taluk level hospitals of the state
Services 1. Pretest counselling by the counsellors
Available 2. Only after informed consent, HIV testing done and only
Rs.10/- will be collected as fee.
3. Post test counselling to understand test results and to initiate
adaptation to positive or negative status.
4. Follow up Counselling
5. VCTC - RMTCP Coordination
6. Free distribution of condoms
7. Referral Service
8. Confidentiality is maintained
. .5^—

To Whom
Where
Services
Available

I__

To Whom
Where
Services
Available

— --~7~-—
di Parents to C'niicf Transuiissicn cir-HiV.

To Pregnant women attending Ante Natal Clinic
All District level hospitals, some medical college hospitals
and selected Taluka level hospitals.
1. Group counselling of pregnant women
2. Pre test counselling
3. Only after informed consent, HIV testing done free of cost.
4. Post test counselling
5. Nevirapine prophlylaxis to mother at the time of delivery
and to baby after delivery to prevent transmission, free of cost
6. Confidentiality is maintained.

ART Centre at Lady Curzon & Bowring Hospital

3. Antiretroviral Therapy (A.R.T.)
Eligible H.I.V./Aids patients
1. Bowring and Lady Curzon hospital, Bangalore and
2. K.R.Hospital, Mysore Medical College
1. Personal Counselling
2. Blood Test
3. Free A.R.V. Medicines and follow up.

Awareness campaign

of the Folk Media

__ 4. Telecounselling 1097

To Whom ! Public
VCTCs at all district level hospitals
Where
Services Information about H.l.V. / Aids and facilities available
Available Toll free No.1097

4/13-1 > Crescent Road, High Grounds, Bangalore-560 001
phone: 22201436 I 39, Fax: 22201435
E-mail: ksaps@bgl.vsnl.net.in

n

Karnataka State Aids Prevention Society,
Bangalore.
One of the VCTC centre

SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA

Medical care redefined
Offering world-class medical care at affordable costs, Bangalore's multi- and super-speciality hospitals
attract more and more domestic and overseas patients.
RAVI SHARMA

ITH a growing number of multi
speciality and super-speciality
hospitals and a large reservoir of doctors,
Bangalore is becoming a serious compet
itor for cities like Mumbai, Chennai and
even Delhi as a destination for domestic
and overseas patients seeking world-class
medical care. Given the top-notch facil
ities and care offered by these hospitals, it
is not surprising that overseas patients,
especially from the West and West Asia,
make a beeline for Bangalore. (The cost
of medical care in Bangalore is a fraction
of what they incur in their respective
countries.) This fact prompted a suggest
ion in the State legislature recently that
Karnataka should actively promote
'health tourism’.
Among the best of Bangalore's mul
ti-speciality, super-speciality hospitals of
fering complete care is the 250-bed Sagar
Apollo hospital, promoted by the Sagar
Group. According to Dr. D. Premachandra Sagar, chief executive officer, Sagar
Apollo Hospital, the hospital’s aim is to
offer patients world-class facilities, diag
nosis, treatment, convalescence and
comfort in an ambience that is totally
unlike a hospital.
The hospital has six presidential
suites (each equipped with an intensive
care unit, a kitchen, a pantry and a wait
ing room, and costing Rs.7,500 a day),
10 day-care beds, seven operating theat
res with two of them in a state of read
iness round the clock), 32 general ward
beds (each costing Rs.400 a day), 78
semi-private beds (Rs.900), 20 private
rooms (Rs. 1,750), 20 deluxe rooms
(Rs.2,500), a critical care unit (with 60
beds), top-rung diagnostic services, six
dialysis machines (Rs. 1,000 a session), a
dedicated neuro ICU, corporate empa
nelment, annual health screening pro
grammes, a telemedicine facility, blood
bank and a state-of-the-art Cath lab
where angiographies, stenting, fixing of
pacemakers, device closures and other
cardiac-related procedures are done. The
hospital also runs Spine Service, a centre
run by a team of neurosurgeons and or
thopaedic spine surgeons that offers

W

94

The operating theatre mr.de of stainless steel, at Mallya Hospital.

complete spine care and spine trauma
care, congenital deformity correction for
scoliosis, kyphosis, microdiscectomy for
cervical and lumbar disc prolapse, and so
on.
The hospital’s orthopaedic depart
ment has also been successfully perform
ing primary joint replacement surgeries
of the hip, knee and shoulder. It hopes to
widen its ambit by including surgeries
for the elbow, wrist and fingers.
According to Air Commodore
(Retd.) K.P. Das, Medical Director, Sa
gar Apollo, the hospital has to its credit
many firsts in India: it was the first to
install a spinal cord stimulation device
for cardiac cases; start a surgical work
shop on facial nerves, conduct a laparo
scopic radical prostatectomy, start a
fibroid clinic and launch birthing suites.
The birthing suite involves a 72-hour
package costing Rs.29,999 (for normal
deliveries) and allows a pregnant woman
to stay in the same room through labour,
delivery and recovery. The suite along
with its adjoining lounge for the person
accompanying the mother-to-be is
equipped with all the facilities of a com
fortable modern home and is designed to
offer the best of both worlds - the com
fort of a home and the medical security
of a modern hospital. Sagar Apollo Hos

pital was also the first to conduct a bone
marrow transplant in Karnataka.
With around 200 consultants avail
able at the hospital, patients have a wide
choice to choose from. The hospital’s 27
consultation suites (seven of which are
dedicated to neurology, gastroenteritis
and diabetology cases, and two for car
diac cases) are visited by around 100 pa
tients every day. Besides the consultant^
the hospital has 50 resident doctors. A<
cording to Prof. Ramamurthy Bingi, a
consultant cardiologist, the hospital con
ducts around 12 coronary artery bypass
surgeries every month. The patient
charge is around Rs.95,000 for the gen
eral ward and Rs. 1.3 5 lakhs for a semi
private room.
The hospital only conducts related
renal transplantation. Each patient needs
to be first cleared by the eight-member
In-House Ethics Committee chaired by a
retired judge. So far five transplants have
been performed. The hospital has four
nephrologists and four urologists. Sagar
Apollo is equipped to conduct cadaver
transplants and it recently entered into
an agreement with rhe Foundation for
Organ Retrieval and Transplant Educa
tion, the pioneer organisation for cadav
er transplants in Karnataka.
The Sagar Group, which owns and
FRONTLINE. SEPTEMBER 10- 200-i

GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA

_

WELFARE SERVICES
• For taking special care of Mental Health
Patients, Mental Health Act was enacted in
1987. Mental Health Care Services are being
provided at all District Health Hospitals where 10
beds are reserved for mentally ill patients.

• 94 Primary Health Centres which have no
buildings of their own are being constructed
under Rural Integrated Development Fund
(NABARD) and they become functional by the
year end.

A
S OF THE HEALTH ..1EG*’OR:
RrKar latake State has severs1 milestones in
■lerinc
Care Services and has done
.■
■ : wudc Karnataka Was the first state in the
;
'd x start Birth Conit '■ Ciirics by
I
□dvernm >ntal organization during June 1930.
. .ataka Government' is providing specialized
j Health Services to the community apart from
| regularquality services.

Karnataka Government has started
Telemedicine for providing specialist services to
tire needy, poor, rural and distant people in the
inaccessible areas with the help of Indian Space
Research Organization through Satellite,
Cardiological, Neurological, Paediatric,
Nephrological and Diabetic consultations are
done by the specialists of Six Institutes which
include Narayana Hrudayalaya, Jayadeva
Institute of Technology, NIMHANS, St.Johns
^Institute of Medical Sciences, JSS Institute of
Wvledical Sciences and Samarthan Institute of
Diabetology. At present 29 hospitals have been
planned to have this Telemedicine facility and it is
under process. This facilitates to save time,
money and avoids distant travelling. The entire
State will be covered with this facility in a phased
manner.
• Regional Diagnostic Laboratories with High
Tech investigation facilities are being
established at Mandya, Tumkur, Chitradurga,
Hubli, Bagalkot, Bellary and Bidar Hospitals,
specially to cater to the needs of Highway
accidentvictims.

• World Bank sponsored Health, Nutrition and
Population Project with an outlay of Rs.790
crores will be launched in Karnataka to provide
Primary Health Care Services to the Poor and
Rural Folk.

• Karnataka is proud that it has averted 2.27
crores of births since inception of Family Welfare
Programme.

- Peoples participation is our "Motto" in the
delivery of quality services at the door step of the
beneficiaries
The present vital indicators of the State are as
follows:
Indicators

Rate

Crude Birth Rate

22

Crude Death Rate

7.2

Infant Mortality Rate

55

Maternal Mortality Rate

195 (Per 1 lakh live births)

Couple Protection Rate

60.26%

Preconception and Prenatal Diagnostic
Technique (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act
1994 has been implemented in this State with
right earnestness to prevent sex determination.
There are different authorities to monitor the
implementation of this act viz.,

1.

State Advisory Board under the
Chairmanship of Hon’ble Minister for Health

2.

Multi member State Appropriate Authority

3.

District Appropriate Authorities

Penalty up to Rs. 50,000 and imprisonment for a
period of 3 years are there who violate this law for
the first time. All centres have ultrasound
scanning and Genetic Laboratories have to
register with the District Appropriate Authorities.
Non registration is an offense underthis Law.
Directorate of
Health & Family Welfare Services
Government of Karnataka
Ananda Rao Circle, Bangalore - 560 009

SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA

manages 30 hospitals across the .umir/.
is planning to build three more ncspirals
in Bangalore and open represent jive
clinics in other parts of the country.

HE M.S. Ramaiah Memoriel Hos
pital (MSRMH) is a Rs. 100-crore,
multi-speciality, state-of-the-art, onestop centre for all medical disorders. To
tal health care solutions from cardiology
to urology are offered under one roof.
The 5.00,000 square feet, 350-bed
swanky’ new hospital will soon also be a
postgraduate teaching and research cen

T

tre. While the 750-bed M.S. Ramaiah
Hospital built in 1985 continues to serve
rhe underprivileged, MSRMH is meant
for the patient who “doesn’t mind pay
ing a little extra for excellent medical
facilities and an ambience that is akin to
5-star comfort". MSRMH is the brain
child of M.R. Jayaram, the chairman of
the Gokula Education Foundation,
which runs the hospital.
A bed in the general ward (six/eight
beds in all) costs Rs.450 a day (all in
clusive), a bed in the four-bed general
ward costs Rs.675, a semi private room

(two beds) costs Rs.900,
a private room Rs. 1,350
and a deluxe room
Rs.2,100. The hospital
currently has an occu
pancy rate of over 80 per
cent.
According to Dr.
Naresh Shetry, medical
director, MSRMH, the
infrastructure at the hos
pital is of international
standards and is capable
of handling any kind of
medical emergency, in
cluding disaster manage
ment. The hospital’s
24-hour
emergency,
trauma and critical c4B
wing,
connected
oy
wireless and hotline ser' ices, has state-of-the-art
nrilatory and monitorifig equipment, a com'.Tchensive
pre-anacsthcsia c.inic, a pain clinic and
palliative care - i vices. The hospital is
equipped wit!; eight operating theatres,
which, according co B.R. Prabhakara,
chief executive, Gokula Education
Foundation, arc rated as among the best
in the world by leading surgeons in the
United States.
The hospital has over 200 full-time
doctors available on call 24 hours a day,
eight dialysis machines, a blood bank
chat also undertakes manual plasmaphe
resis procedures, a blood component sep
arating centre (that offers packed red

The rooftop garden for the use of inpatients recovering from surgery at the M.S. Ramaiah Memorial Hospital.
96

FRONTLINE, SEPTEMBER 10. 2004

S

K

MS Ramaiah Memoria Hospital

tote
hea th care

«

built with love and
care to promote
good health care.

■>

The people at MS Ramaiah Memorial
Hospital believe in total healthcare
solutions. With the aim of providing
quality healthcare, the hospital has been
established with the state of art facilities
■jflk . is'on. whicn is all encompassing.

The new hospitw is to cater to people
■■•no want totu! attention during
treatment
fhe ambience and
atmosphere
the hospital is truly
outstanding and boasts of many
ties, which are unique to the
hospiia
It s unique to have all
specialities under one roof- right from
Cardiology to Urology and also critical
care units. The hospital is attached to
the reputed M.S Ramaiah Medical
College and is an ISO 9002 accredited
organisation. Specialists from all
specialties are available for
consultation. “The new Hospital is a
brainchild of our Chairman
M.R.Jayaram and has been set up to
cater to the needs of not only the people
of our state but the entire country" says
Dr.Naresh Shetty. Medical Director, MS
Ramaiah Memorial Hospital. "Ours is
one of the best hospitals in the city and
v^feave the infrastructure to deal with
a^ind of medical emergency all under

Health care schemes :
The hospital offers a range of
health care schemes "We offer
executive health check-ups, checkups
for children, Women and routine health
checkups”, says Dr. Shetty. "We also do
pre-employment checkups, he adds.

Technology : The imaging facilities are
slate of the art with the CR
(Computerised Radiography
machines), the KODAK- which ensures
the entire networking of the process, is
done. "The doctor treating a patient can
sit in his ward and see images of the
patient without coming to the x-ray
department. This would ensure speedy
diagnosis and treatment," says
Dr.Shetty

The SIEMENS EMOTION DUO CT
SCANNER is capable of generating
exquisite images of the body in high
resolution. The department is also
equipped with C-arm DSA unit for all in
house procedure and also Ultrasound
and Colour Doppler, which are the
backbone of any imaging department
Mammography, MRI and Nuclear
Medicine is to commence shortly and
this would make the department a onestop shop for all kinds of imaging needs.

one roof, "he adds.

Holistic treatment: Speaking of the
holistic treatment that is offered at MS
Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, Dr.Naresh
Shetty, says " Man cannot be divided
into parts and we believe the human
body must be treated keeping this in
mind”. " The fact that patients are
shunted between departments because
of the specialisations not being available
is unfortunate. If a patient's Brain doesn't
work, it ensures that the kidney, heart
and other vital organs might not work.
Hence the need for all specialities under
one roof he points out.
Vision: The vision of Mr.Jayaram and
the trustees of GEF is to provide
healthcare to all sections of society at
reasonable rates.The hospital has been

The Dialysis facilities are state of the art
and consist of nine volumetric dialysis
machines. There are separate machines
for patients with HIV/ AIDS Schemes
such as “Night Dialysis" are also being
planned in the near future to ensure
comfort to the patients.
Lab facilities: A tie-up with Metropolis
group, which has labs in Pune, Cochin
and Mumbai and other places has

helped the hospital to set up a unique
lab. Any kind of investigation can be
carried out here. "The range of
investigations includes Pathology,
Biochemistry, Haematology, Clinical
Immunology, Virology and any kind of
laboratory investigations
Roof-top Garden : This is for cardio
vascular patients who have undergone
surgery A roof-top garden has been
constructed which has a lot of greenery
and also steps and walking area for the
patients to walk around and get
accustomed to normal life after surgery.
This is the first of its kind of a garden to
offer patients a chance to recuperate
v/hilst in the hospital.
ICU : A 100 bedded ICU comprising of
cardiac, Neuro, Neonatal and general
ICU will take care of critical patients. It
has the latest and state of the art
equipments. It will ensure the very best
that the world can offer.

Accident & Emergency Services: Not
just passive relievers but a proactive
team This is the motto of the
department. The department is set to
change the emergency medicine
scenario in the city. Triage area,
resuscitation bay, ICU on wheels,
trained paramedics for pre
hospitalisation are some of the
innovative features.
This has been made a part of the
hospital keeping in mind the increasing
accidents that takes place in the
highways around Bangalore city. The
facilities provided under the trauma care
include round the clock transport and
also resuscitation units connected by
wireless and hotline.

'All this would not have been possible,
but for the vision of quality hospital care
of our Chairman Mr. M.R Jayaram,
Trustees & Chief Executive of the Health
Sciences.

. .0

M S Ramaiah
-J Memorial Hospital
Better health for a better world.

MSRIT PO, Bangalore 560 054, Phone: 23608888, 23609999 Fax: 23601924 E-mail: msrhospitals@vsnl.com

SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA

The outpatient department at the* Dt B.R. Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital.

blood cells, platelets, cryoprecipitate.
saline washed red cells and fresh frozen
plasma), a diagnostic imaging and in
terventional radiology centre that offers
multi slice CT scanning, computed ra
diology, ultra sonography and colour
doppler, magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), mammography and a specialised
referral testing laboratory that currently
offers around 1,500 tests.
The departments in the hospital
complement one another in offering ser
vices that are thorough and specialised.
There are dedicated clinics for general
cardiology, adult cardiology, paediatric
cardiology’, pacemaker and cardiac ar
rhythmia and hypertension. Among the
cardio vascular interventions performed
at the hospital are balloon angioplasty,
stenting and valvuloplasty. Among the
non-invasive procedures are electrocar
diogram (ECG), stress ECG, transesoph
ageal echo, vascular profiler, event
recorder and ambulatory blood pressure
monitoring. MSRMH offers surgeries
such as coronary artery bypass graft,
valve replacement, valve repair, re-do
cardiac and arrhythmia.
In a bid to fasten the recuperation of
patients who have undergone cardiac
surgeries, the hospital has constructed an
impressive roof-top garden - complete
with steps and paths to walk on, greenery
and cascading water. In-hospital cardiac
care patients will be encouraged to spend
time and walk in the roof garden, the
first of its kind in India.
The hospital’s Department of Gas
troenterology offers emergency endosco
py around the clock, while the
Department of Clinical Immunology has
specialised clinics for arthritis, vasculitis
98

aud connective tissue diseases and immuno-deficiencies. MSRMH also prides
itself about its Centre for Nephro-Urology, which, besides dialysis, offers renal
transplantation, paediatric nephrology
and reconstructive urology, Neuros
ciences Centre (both neurology and neu
rosurgery) and its Cancer Institute. The
Cancer Institute offers radiation, med
surgical
and
gynaecological
ical,
oncology.
The Karnataka government has on
more than one occasion reserved a room
in rhe 215-bed, multi- and super-special
ity Mallya Hospital, managed by Chap
arral Health Services Ltd, whenever the
President or the Prime Minister visits
Bangalore. For Commodore (retd.) Indru Wadhwani, president, Mallya Hos
pital, there can be no bigger recognition
than this of the hospital’s commitment
to quality services. Says Wadhwani:
“Our policy is to achieve continuous im
provement in providing quality patient
care using state-of-the-art technologies
and rendering service with a human
touch.”
Opened in June 1991, Mallya Hos
pital is the first hospital in India to be
awarded the ISO-9002 certification. In
June 2003, it was upgraded to ISO
9001:2000. Says Wadhwani: “To make a
good hospital which believes in quality
patient care you need three elements.
First, the best consultants, and we have
them. The hospital has 170 consultants.
Secondly, you need state-of-the-art
equipment, which we have installed.
And thirdly, committed and motivated
employees who take care of patients all
the time and with a smile. I think my
800 employees do that.”

According to Wadhwani, Mallya
Hospital has almost all major medical
specialities - advanced oncology, neurol
ogy, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, ENT,
nephrology, cardiology, dentistry, oph
thalmology and so on. The hospital is
equipped with state-of-the-art dialysis
machines, a high-speed CT scanner, a
C-arm, mammography and ultrasound
machines, an Echo machine, an ad
vanced catheterisation lab, intravascular
ultrasound machine, a 1.5 Tesla Sym
phony high-energy MRI scanner, a mod
ern intensive care cardiac unit (ICCU),
an exclusive medical intensive care unit
and seven operating theatres. The hospi
tal recently added two operating theatres,
which have stainless steel panelling, so
phisticated lights and vertical lar^^
flow to ensure the highest standardWf
infection control Hie hospital recently
equipped its Rend Care Centre with ad
vanced dialysis machines. The hospital’s
ICCU has also been expanded from
eight to 14 beds.
It has conducted several successful
coronary’ bypass, open and closed heart,
spinal, tumour, orthopaedic, plastic and
craniotomy surgeries, double valve re
placements and renal transplants. And
though it is known to be a corporate
hospital - given rhe large number of cli
ents from that sector - Mallya Hospital,
according to Wadhwani, has the largest
number of general ward beds (38) for a
hospital of its size. Says Wadhwani:
“This is yet another indication of our
commitment to the socio-economically
weaker sections of society. We also con
duct a number of free basic h^kh
camps. And our general ward packag^Jb
a bypass surgery costs Rs.90,000.”
In a bid to further improve its ser
vices, Mallya Hospital is acquiring an
Innova 2000S Cathlab, an Infinia with
Hawkeye gamma camera (for use in nu
clear medicine and advanced imaging for
cardiac checks) and a C-Arm Flexiview
8800 series (for use in radiology and or
thopaedics). The hospital’s blood bank is
planning to expand its services by in
cluding blood component facilities.
It may not quite qualify as a super
speciality hospital, but the 421-bed Dr
B.R. Ambedkar Medical College and
Hospital offers a service that few in rhe
private sector can match. Doctors in its
outpatient departments see, free of
charge, as many as 500 patients every
day, most of whom are from below the
poverty line families and slums. Most of
these patients visit the hospital to get
FRONTLINE. SEPTEMBER 10. 2004

■

MALLYA®,
■A

Angiogram

Spiral C. T. Scan

Hormone Assays (Elisa, Ria)

Ultrasonography

Angioplasty

Day & Night Pharmacy

Intensive Care Unit

Advanced Hi-Tech

Diabetes Day Care Centre

Interventional Radiology

Orthodontics &
Dento-Facial Orthopedics

Ambulances

Djabetes Health Check-up

Joint Replacement

Diabetology - Metabolism

• Audiometry

Dialysis>

Laparoscopic Surgery

Thyroidology

• Autoanalysers

Echocardiography

Master Health Check-up

Reproductive Endocrinology

• Biochemistry

Electroencephalogram

Mammography

Pediatric Endocrinology

• Blood Bank

Endoscopy

Non-stitch Cataract Surgery

Neuroendocrinology

Open Heart Surgery

Bone and Mineral Metabolism

• Coronary Care Unit

Executive Health Check-up
I • Haematology

Pulmonary Function Test

Lipid-vascular Metabolism

• Coronary Bypass Surgery

| • Holter Monitoring

Renal Transplant

• Colour Doppler

W Mallya Hospital
aa n

ZK8T
hospital

IS09001
Registered
KPMG t

# 2, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore - 560 001
001.

Phone : 22277979/7990/ 1 /2/3. Fax : 080- 22242326.
email: info@mallyahospital.net

Emergency Ambulance : 22242325

mo Cvch Counc-i
CortfictfCn

let

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA
treatment for respiratory infections, gas
troenteritis and skin allergies, and for mi

A surgery in progress at the Ambedltar Medical College and Hospital.

A boon for childless couples
RAVI SHARMA

CLINIC that has earned a name
for itself as one of India’s best, ful
ly integrated, specialised provider of in
fertility treatment and genetic services
is the Bangalore Assisted Conception
Centre (BACC). Established in 1989
with the aim of providing exclusive
care for infertile couples, BACC is one
of the best-equipped infertility clinics
in the country. It offers state-of-the-art
assisted reproductive techniques, both
diagnostic and procedural, and also
prenatal diagnosis and therapy. More
than 18,000 infertile couples have so
far been treated at BACC.
One of the first infertility clinics in
India to be awarded the ISO
9001:2000 certification, BACC has
successfully treated childless couples
from across India, and of late those
from abroad too. The escalating costs
of medical treatment in the West and
in West Asia force people from these
regions to visit BACC, given its com
petitive charges and the expertise of its
doctors. Among BACC’s achievements
are the birth of a baby through the

A

too

sperm intra-fallopian transfer (SIFT)
technique for the first time in India
and the birth of babies through 1CSI
and Laser Assisted Hatching tech
niques for the first time in South India.
According to BACC’s medical di
rector, Dr. Kamini A. Rao, the success
rate for couples opting for in-vitro fer
tilisation (IVF) at her clinic is around
40 per cent. This could go up to 80 per
cent once problems relating to implan
tation of the fertilised embryo in the
uterus are solved.
Said Dr. Kamini Rao: “Stress hor
mones have an impact on the hypo
thalamus gland, which produces
reproductive hormones. Sexual disor
ders are on the rise, especially in profes
sions like information technology (IT)
where deadlines and odd hours have
turned many a couple's biological
clock upside down. A study conducted
by us showed that one in four of our
patients was from the IT sector. Profes
sionals who have to attend to frequent
emergencies and irregular working
hours - like airhostesses, lady doctors,
and journalists - also encounter infer
tility problems.” ■

nor surgeries.
The teaching hospital has 318 doc
tors (including 43 professors). It offers
services in all specialities ranging from
general medicine and surgery, dermatol
ogy, orthopaedics and paediatrics to gy
naecology'. No fee is charged for most
minor surgeries. Even for major surger
ies, the costs are minimal: a laparoscopy
costs Rs. 1,250, orthoscopy Rs. 1,000, a
joint replacement surgery Rs. 1,200, and
endoscopy Rs.250. There are no charges
for a tubcctomy.
Says Dr G. Mohan, principal of the
college: “We only charge for the drugs
and anaesthesia. For an appendectong,
we charge Rs.250. In our mater^®
ward, we do not charge any delivery
charges.”
Adds ijr. S. Manmohan, the hospi
tal's medical superintendent: “Even in
our diagnostic laboratory we do not
charge for biochemistry and micro-path
ological tests. And we do around 300
investigations every day. Our X-ray
charges are only Rs.60.” The hospital has
a full-fledged blood bank. It conducted a
number of surveys on the incidence of
hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and cat
aract. It hopes to start cardiac and neu
roscience centres in the near future.
Praxair Healthcare Services, a divi
sion of the $6 billion multinational com
pany Praxir, has established itself in the
health care circles. Fifty per cent of its
business comprises production and sup
ply of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon diox
ide, calibrated gases, gas mixtures aad
nitrous oxide to leading hospitals.^!
other services are pipeline distribution
and waste water treatment systems in
hospitals. It recently opened an ozonated
laundry system, which, according to Asit
Gangopadhyay, senior vice-president
and head of the division’s On-Site Busi
ness Development, is being used by al
most all the leading hospitals in
Bangalore. It currently washes around
3,000 kg of linen every day. This is ex
pected to go up to 7,000 kg a day by the
end of the year.
Praxair Healthcare Services has
opened its Home Respirator}' Centres in
Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. Pa
tients with chronic obstructive pulmo
nary diseases like asthma can call the
centre and get relief at their doorstep. It
has also launched sleep therapy equip
ment for patients with obstructive sleep
apnoea. ■
FRONTLINE, SEPTEMBER 10. 2004

Karnataka Hears System BmlopiMt Project- KHiOP
HIGHLIGHTS:
• 204 hospitals have been upgraded under Karnataka health
System Development Project.
• ISO-9002 certification has awarded to 6 Government hospitals.
° Under KfW-1, 26 hospitals have been upgraded in Gulbarga,
Raichur, Bellary and Bidar Districts.
• Concept of user-charges has been introduced in district and
Taluk hospitals.
• Yellow card schemes for SC/ST community for better healthcare.
° GIS software has been developed and training has been given to
district surveillance officers.
• Privatisation of non-clinical services was introduced for the first
time in the State.
• Waste Management Services have been implemented in project
hospitals.

" 44 primary trauma care centers are being established to provide ■
emergency care services to victims in case of accidents.

^£77/ S’/SWS

p^CJECl

Government of Karnataka
PHI Buidings, 1st Floor, Seshadri Road, K.R. Circle, Bangalore-560 001
Phone: 22277390/22274883

MOW 1SOW C@i»f l©H CENTRE PVT. LTD.
# 6/7, Kumara Krupa Road. High Grounds, Bangalore-560 001.
Tel: 080-22260880 / 22269245 / 51138255/56 Fax: 080-22250465

E-mail: kambacc@vsnl.com Website: www.baccweb.com

FACILITIES AVAILABLE FOR ASSISTED
REPRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUES
• IVF-ET / GIFT / SIFT
Micromanipulation (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm
" Injection-ICSI)
•
•
•

Laser Assisted Hatching (LAH)
>
Embryo Freezing
Epididymal Collection of Sperms for Insemination

Operative Endoscopy with the
use ol Laser

Cryopreservation: Semen

Fully equipped Biochemistry
laboratory for complete

Biochemical & Hormonal Profile

Intra Uterine Fetal Blood
Transfusions & Amnioinfusion

• Chromosomal Analysis from
Chorion Villi, Amniotic Fluid &
Fetal Chord Blood
• Maternal serum screening for
detection of Down Syndrome
Pregnancies Triple Marker
Test

• Molecular Diagnosis of
Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy, Beta Thalassemia
& Sickle Cell Disease
• Chromosome micro-deletions
in Male Factor Infertility.

Banking, Embryo Freezing

Fetal Therapy:

CYTOGENTIC & MOLECULAR
DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

* India's first Quality
Certified Infertility Clinic
(ISO 9001:2000)
• India's first SIFT baby
* South India's first ICSI
baby & Assisted Hatching
Baby
* World Class Success

Rates

• Recognized by the Rajiv Gandhi University for Ph. D. In
Embryology
• Recognized for Fellowship Programme in
Reproductive Medicine under the National Board of
Examinations, New Delhi.

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING &
RESEARCH IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH :
A training centre designed with the intention of providing
candidates with a thorough knowledge of the current stateof-the-art in the treatment of male and female infertility and
reproductive genetics.

SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA

A pioneer in mental health care
HE National Institute of Mental
Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, a 150-year-old multi
disciplinary hospital dedicated to the
cause of mental health and neurosciences.
has been long recognised as the premier
institute of its kind in India. Almost 80
per cent of all psychiatrists produced in
the country are alumni of the institute.
Oser 1.00,000 students and trainees
come to the institute every year.

institute has three basic functions: educa
tion, services and research. In the field of
education, NIMHANS has 21 depart
ments, including biophysics, clinical psy
chology, epidemiology, human genetics,
neuro anaesthesia, neuro imaging and in
terventional radiolog}', neuropathology,
neurosurgery, psychiatric and neurolog
ical rehabilitation, psychiatry to psycho
pharmacology. While all departments
offer Ph.D programmes, some offer di
plomas and specialised courses.
The institute’s Library and Informa

Declared a deemed university in No
vember 1994, NIMHANS has been in
strumental in developing advanced
programmes pertaining to biological, be
havioural and basic sciences in relation to
the brain-mind-behaviour axis in the area
of academics, research and health care.
The World Health Organisation (WHO)
has recognised the institute as a referral
centre for head injuries, rabies and mental
illnesses. All programmes of the WHO in
the region are done through the institute.
The institute is funded by both the
Union government and the Government
of Karnataka. It also receives grants from
agencies such as the Indian Council of
Medical Research, the Department of
Science and Technology, the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research, the
University Grants Commission, the
WHO and the United Nations Interna
tional Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to Dr. D. Nagaraja, Director/Vice-Chancellor of NIMHANS, the

tion Centre subscribes to 315 national
and international journals and. its collec
tion includes 35,000 books and 40,000
back volumes of journals, thesis, disserta
tions and research reports.
Nagaraja disclosed that the institute
as part of its tele-education programmes
regularly conducts three-day district-level
interactive training sessions for doctors.
With Karnataka facing an acute shortage
of psychiatrists (currently drere are only
13 psychiatrists in the entire State), the
institute has stepped in and started threemonth short-term training programmes
as a short-term measure. It has not only
provided the concept and module for the
Government of India’s District Mental
Healdt Project, but is also actively mon
itoring it.
The institute’s activities are not re
stricted to education. Its 912-bed state-ofthe-art hospital complete with 300 staff (a
majority of them are doctors) and six op
erating theatres is equipped to tackle any

RAVI SHARMA

T

102

sort of medical emergency pertaining to
the head. Over 4,00,000 patients, includ
ing 1,000 outpatients every day, are treat
ed at NIMHANS every year. On an
average, NIMHANS treats around 80 ca
sualties ever}' day. Over half of all the
patients who visit the institute get free
treatment, while others remaining pay
rates that are a pittance when compared
to what private hospitals charge. For ex
ample, bed charges are Rs.6 a day. The
hospital is also equipped with a referral
laboratory’ and its neuromuscular laboratoty is one of the best in India.
The institute also conducts numerous
camps ro educate the people on mental
la altb. .•■.’.a i Nagaraja: “Today we have to
inculcate bi-akhy habits and lifestyll
changes raking a non-pharmacological
approach to improve stress tolerance.”
With tltis in mind, NIMHANS has
adopted four districts in Karnataka to
train government teachers in detecting
and counselling children with abnormal
ities. The programme’s success has
prompted Gujarat to adopt a similar one,
with the institute as die technical
consultant.
NIMHANS was the first to open a
mental rehabilitation centre. It has suc
cessfully undertaken research on head in
juries, epilepsy, suicides, paralytic strokes
in the young, venous thrombosis and
neurological complications of those who
are HIV positive. The institute has also
studied infections of die nervous system,
neuro AIDS and viral encephalitis, pa
thology of developmental disorders, neu
ro oncology, the genetics of neuro menudj
disorders, and autism. It is in the process
of introducing commercial test kits for
rabies, virology, Japanese encephalitis and
HIV. In the area of alternative therapies,
NIMHANS has a programme to study
yoga and meditation as treatment meth
ods.
The institute has set up a brain bank
widi special reference to padiological
states. This national facility intends to
promote research in neurobiology using
human neuron tissues. The brain tissues
collected within 4 to 24 hours Lifter the
death of a patient, with informed consent
of his/her relatives, are frozen for bio
chemical, immuno-histochemical and
molecular biological studies. A large num
ber of formalin-fixed brain tissues of those
who had neurological, neurosurgical and
psychiatric disorders are currently avail
able for study. ■

FRONTLINE. SEPTEMBER 10. 2004

Kadugondanahalli, Bangalore-560 045. Phone: 25476498, 25471784. E-mail: drbramc@yahoo.co.in

Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Medical College was
established by Ananda Social & Educational
Trust in 1981 with the sole aim of providing best
Medical Education to aspiring students & to
serve the state & society at large. The sprawling
25 acre campus is located at Kadugondanahalli
near Kavalbyrasandra in Bangalore City. The
College is affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of
Health Sciences, Karnataka & recognized by the
Medical Council of India.
The college building is well planned,
architecturally designed,
spacious, elegant with
necessary infrastructure
for a Medical College. The
teaching faculty is
excellent, dedicated &
committed for all round
development of students.
The students who have
passed out from the
college are placed in
excellent positions both in
India & abroad. Many
alumni of the college after
specialization now serve
on the faculty of the
institution.

Courses offered:

• M.B.B.S - 100 Admissions / Year
• Post Graduate / Diploma courses in various
Medical specialties.
• Paramedical courses Physiotherapy (BPT),
BSc Medcial Laboratory Technology,
BSc Radography.
• General Nursing.
Hospital:

The college has a well equipped 450 bedded
hospital in the campus to train Medical
students. The hospital provides totally free
health services to the public including lunch &
dinner for inpatients.
Facilities Available:

•General Medicine • Paediatrics including
Paediatric surgery • TB & Chest Diseases
• Dermatology • Psychiatry • General Surgery
& Oncology » Orthopaedics • ENT
• Ophthalmology • OBG • Urology
• ICCU • Special Medical & Surgical ICU clinics
in ail specialties • Radiology
• Central Laboratory • Blood Bank
• Pulmonary function tests laboratory
• Dentistry • Physiotherapy
• Speech therapy & Audiometry
• Pharmacy • 24 hours casualty services
• RNTCP unit for treatment of TB patients
• AIDS counseling • Postmortem services
• 24 hours Ambulance services
>■

.

R.L. JALAPPA HOSPITAL & [RESEARCH CENTRE H ~
SRI DEVARAJ URS MEDKAL COLLEGE, TAMAKA, KOLAR-563 101
The R.L.Jalappa Hospital is situated 6 Kms. from

8. Free consultation for outpatients in all the

Kolar, about 25 Kms. from Mulbagal in NH4. The

specialties, except super specialties services.

hospital is situated in an area of 6 acres of land

9. Special ward facilities with single

surrounded by greeneries.

accommodation at reasonable rates.

^^ives a healthy look to the suffering needy
flBple. Just in front of the hospital, there is a

U'ANESHA

TEMPLE’

room

where

24 Hours Service
• Causality & Emergency Service • Blood Bank

and

patients

• Pharmacy • Ambulance • C.T. Scan • X-ray

attenders pray for speedy recovery.
Specialty Services
The following specialist services are available
with qualified & dedicated doctors in the

Hospital is well maintained with lot of importance

given to cleanliness in and outside the hospital.

respective departments

The following medical facilities are available:

1.

2.

The

Hospital works for our patients all

Radiology,

OBG,

Orthopaedics,

Endoscopy,

ENT,

Psychiatry,

and general holidays, (timings
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on holidays).

Ophthalmology, Paediatric/Neonatology, Skin &VD.

The

Hospital

consists

will

of 510

be

beds

Hospital

is well

sophisticated

electric

laundry

&

at Super Specialities
• Urology • Paediatric Surgery • Cardiology

equipped with modern,

equipments

with

central

modern

sterlization

department.
4.
20% discount for Green Card Holders, for all

• Neurology • Gastroentrology & Laprascopic
Surgery • Cancer Surgery

Radiology
Department well equipped with

• Routine X-ray • X-ray with l.l.T.V. • Ultra

the facilities available in the hospital, except

Sound Colour Doppler -4. C.T.Scan

C.T. Scan & ICU

Cardiology
With Echo & Tread Mill on daily basis and

5.
Normal deliveries are treated on charity basis.
6' Family planning programmes & Immunization
services are done free of cost.
7 The hospital is providing free food to the

’ patients (One breakfast, 2 meals)

New Born intensive Care Unit well equipped with

Incubators, Photo Therapy, Monitors, Paediatric
Ventilators.
Operation Theatre

11 Major Operation Theatres are equipped with
latest anaesthesia machines, with latest O.T
tables & monitors with Air Condition.
Physiotherapy

We have well equipped Physiotherapy
department with following facilities along with
routine physiotherapy procedures.

Surgery,

Dental.

the days in the year, including Sundays

present and is likely to be expanded.

3.

Medicine,

J2

N.I.C.U.

appointment basis.
I.C.U./C.C.U.
10 Beded ICU equipped with • Cardiac
Monitors • Ventilators • Defibrilator

• Electrotherapy • Exercise therapy accessories
• Cerebral Palsy Clinics • Spinal Cord & Stroke

Rehabilitation • Treadmill
Mortuary with cold storage facilities

Available in the hospital. And routine
Postmortems are done for medico-legal cases.

SPECIAL FEATURE: HEALTH CARE IN KARNATAKA
attain an awareness level of not less than 90
per cent among the youth and others in the
reproductive age group and to ensure that
not less than 90 per cent among the highrisk behaviour groups use condoms.
According to Gurnani, the components
of the project, which costs Rs. 17 crores a
year, will include intervening among highGiven the state of affairs, the KSAPS risk groups and the general population with
RAVI SHARMA
has cautioned all sections of society to adopt die help of non-governmental organisations
ARNATAKA is one of the six States safer sex practices; to identify and treat cases (NGOs); providing high-quality, low-cost
with a high incidence of the acquired of STD and reproductive tract infections are and support to people living with HFV/
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) - the (RTIs); to provide care and suppon services AIDS, ensuring inter-sectoral collaborations
others being Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, for people with HIV infection so as to im between rhe government and the private
Andhra Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. prove die quality of their lives and to also sector; and training 12,000 teachers from
The number of human immunodeficiency prevent transmission; and to identify and 4,000 high schools as part of the School
virus (HIX7)-infected cases has shown a stea treat pregnant women with drugs like Nev- AIDS Education Programme.
dy increase in the past 10 years. The Senti ripine, which can control parent-to-child
Among die other projects currendy be
ing implemented to tackle AIDS in Ka4^
nel Surveillance round of 2002 identified transmission of die disease.
the districts of Gulbarga, Bijapur, Raichur,
AIDS prevention and control measures taka are the India-Canada Collaborate
Bagalkot, Koppal, Bellary. Belgaum, Dharwere initiated in the Stare way back in 1987 HIV/AIDS Project, which is contributing
wad, Davangere, Shimoga, Udupi, Dakshin
under die technical guidance of the Indian Rs.4 crores a year, the United Nations-sup
Kannada, Kodagu, Mysore and Bangalore Council of Medical Research. An AIDS ported Al DS education and awareness proUrban as areas with a high incidence of Surveillance Centre was established in the gramme in schools (Rs.2.5 crores a year)
HIV cases. It is clear that the epidemic is Department of Microbiology, Victoria and the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda
distributed somewhat evenly throughout Hospital, Bangalore. An AIDS cell was es- tion’s India AIDS initiative aimed ar die
the State. The data indicate
high-risk population widi
that the prevalence of HIV ex
special emphasis on treating
ceeds 1 per cent among ante
sexually transmitted infecnatal patients in central,
| tions (§17 million a year).
southern as well as northern
The Karnataka government
Karnataka.
has pledged Rs.3 crores for
Studies have shown diat
sendees such as more counthe number of HIV-infected
11 selling centres and support
women has also gone up, with
and care facilities for AIDS
1 to 6 per cent of those attend
patients.
ing ante-natal clinics (ANCs)
According to Gurnani,
showing signs of infection.
die State government has
ANC studies are an indication
promised to allocate to
of HIV prevalence in the gen
AIDS patients around^^
eral population’ since most of
beds in tuberculosis
leprosy homes around the
the women attending them re
port sexual contact with a sin
State, which are underutil
Schoolchildren stage a skit on AIDS awareness, in Bangalore on
gle partner - their husbands.
ised. But she cautions that
World Aids Day, December 1, 2003.
The rate of infection among
they should not become
those attending clinics treating sexually tablished in 1992 with the financial assist dumping grounds: “NGOs will have to
transmitted diseases, or STD, is also increa- ance and technical cooperation of the counsel families of AIDS patients that they
singAccording to Vandana Gurnani, Pro National AIDS Control Organisation (NA have to be taken care of at home.”
ject Director, Karnataka State AIDS CO), as part of the World Bank-assisted
The KSAPS has also sailed up its target
Prevention Society (KSAPS), which was es Phase I of the NACP from 1992 to 1998.
interventions (TIs) in the high-risk popula
tablished in 1999 to implement the Nation
Phase II of NACP, which was officially tion from 12 in 2000 to 30 in 2004. The
al AIDS Control Programme (NACP), the launched by NACO in December 1999, is area of coverage, based on die Sentinel Sur
rough estimate of infected cases up to June supported by the World Bank for a period veillance data, has been extended to north
2004 in the State is as follows: 221 AIDS of five years (1999-2004). While the broad ern Karnataka. Gurnani hopes that with die
deaths, 2,024 AIDS cases, 31,485 diag objectives of Phase II in Karnataka are to help of die Bill and Melinda Gates Founda
nosed HIV cases and 5,00,000 estimated reduce the spread of HIV infection in die tion’s funding, TIs will cover all the 27
HFV cases (the last piece of statistics being State and to strengthen its capacity to re districts in the State. Explained Gurnani:
calculated by assuming a prevalence of 1.46 spond to HIV/AIDS on a long-term basis, “Mapping will allow us to locate high-risk
per cent in the adult population). A preva the specific objectives are to keep the HIV groups and identify the kind of activities
lence rate in excess of 1 per cent among the prevalence rate below 3 per cent in the adult that is facilitating die epidemic, whether it is
adult population and over 5 per cent among population, to reduce blood-borne trans heterosexual or homosexual behaviour,
STD patients is regarded as high.
mission of HIV to less than 1 per cent, to shared intravenous needles and so on. This

Combating AIDS

The State is planning a series of programmes to tackle the AIDS
menace, which is spreading at an alarming rate.

K

104

FRONTLINE. SEPTEMBER 10. 2004

Homecare and Hospital Services
brought to you by Praxair Healthcare
HOMECARE

HOSPITAL SERVICES

1 WWW WOTW
W BANGALORE 560 029

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National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) is an apex
tertiary care referral center for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery and allied
disciplines and a premier research and training Institute in the area of mental health
^nd neurosciences and has gained international repute as a center of excellence.
Services: There are over 900 beds (75% general, 25% paying beds) for patients
with psychiatric, neurological and neurosurgical disorders. NIMHANS is a National
Surveillance Centre for HIV/AIDS in India. More than 3,75,000 patients are treated
annually.
Patient Facilities: De-Addiction Centre, Advanced Centre for Ayurveda, Critical Care unit. Stroke Unit,
Child Psychiatry Centre, Head Injury Unit, Blood Bank, Brain Bank, Medical/Surgical Emergency Wards,
Infection Ward, Satellite Clinics, Sprial CT, MR1, Digital Subtraction Angiography, Biplane Angiography.
Laboratory Services: Laboratories for Biochemistry, Clinical Pathology (including Transfusion Medicine
Centre), Neurovirology, Neuropathology (including Electron Microscope) and Neuromicrobiology provide
facilities for service, training and research and function round the clock.
Special Clinics: (i) De-Addiction (ii) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (iii) Geriatrics (iv) HIV/AIDS
(v) Neuromuscular problems (vi) Refractory Epilepsy (vii) Behavioural Neurology (viii) Movement Disorder
(ix) Post-trauma (x) Spina bifida (xi) Endocrinology (xii) Neuro ophthalmology, in addition to consultation by
renowned consultants in the fields of Medicine, Surgery and Pediatric Surgery.
MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT: The Institute has 21 departments providing clinical, investigative, therapeutic
and rehabilitative care to patients for training post doctoral, doctoral, postgraduate and diploma students.
Research: The Institute has collaborative research with several national and international agencies.

Address : Dr. D. Nagaraja, Director, NIMHANS, P.B.No. 2900, Bangalore - 560 029
E-mail: dnn@nimhans.kar.nic.in, Website: http//www.nimhans.kar.nic.in
Tel (office): 26995001/2; 26565822, 2656181 I, Fax : 91-80-6564830/6562121

nce upon a time, not so long

will help us plan our programmes.”
KSAPS is also actively involved in the free distribution of
condoms through reproductive and child health programmes and
NGOs implementing TIs. Condoms are also to be socially mar
keted at subsidised prices dirough non-traditional oudets like fair
price shops, pan shops as well as vending machines. Social market
ing organisations are being asked to ensure that all big villages have
an oudet for condom sales and also that condoms are made easily
available at spots associated with high-risk groups.
In a bid to sensitise the community at large about the AIDS
epidemic, KSAPS has launched interactive phone-in programmes
and the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) pro
gramme using the radio and folk media. It has trained over 9,000
health workers; and initiated programmes for zilla, taluk and gram
panchayat members through die satellite network College stu
dents and anganwadi workers are also being targeted for sensitisa
tion programmes. The Society has opened 78 Voluntary Testing
and Counselling Centres. These offer information, pre- and post
test counselling, and testing (which is done using three antigens).
The results are not divulged immediately lest the infected person
should go into a depression.
KSAPS has started the anti-retroviral treatment (ART) pro
I
gramme at Bangalore to counsel AIDS patients to take their daily
dose of life-saving drugs. There arc currently 99 persons on ART. j|
Said Gumani: “We have put in place systems. Massive aware • i ||
ness programmes to reach out to the rural population have also |
been initiated. We will continue to leverage all Rinding sources to I |
expand furdaer services to reach the remote rural population and to I M
implement highly visible and sustained I EC programmes.” 13

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address.

Experienced Gents and lady Doctors

Q

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consultations.
Longstanding chronic and inveterate diseases are treated.
People suffering from Diabetes, High blood pressure
Rheumatism, Chronic-Headaches, Asthma, Gastritis, Malaria
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The above diseases linked with any kind of skin diseases, Heart
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Special Features/facilities at Ayurvedagram
• Ayurvedagram is rated as one of India's Best Five SPAs as per India Today
plus 2001 Edition • 31 (Double OccupancyJRooms with most modern

amenities with Heritage Ambience • Trained Therapists and Experienced
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•

Round the clock monitoring and individual

attention • A well stocked pharmacy with a range of more then 300

Of late, many useful equipments are
purchased and well equipped
rooms are constructed to
meet the demand, Doctor
RV. Narayana Reddy,
the Chief Medical
Officer, has been
awarded a Gold Medal
(Patanjalli award) by
our State Government
in recognition of his
meritorious services.

106

Ayurvedic Herbal Medicines • Yoga, Meditation and Pranayama sessions

• Twenty-four hours hot water and electricity back up • Multi cuisine

Vegetarian Restaurant • Twenty Four hour Direct dialing facility • Doctor
on Call (24 hours) • Locker facility • Library • Gym and Physiotherapy

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fa

FRONTLINE. SEPTEMBER 10. 2004

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