Medical Institutions of karnataka
Most of the major hospitals of the state are attached to the Medical colleges and they are providing clinical facilities along with almost all specialist services. They function as a referral hospitals to the other institutions which come under their jurisdiction. They are having specialities like Medicine, Surgery, Obstetric, Gynaecology, ENT, Skin and VD, Pathology and Bacteriology, Radiology, Anasethesia, Dental etc., besides latest modern medical services. A brief account of some of the major hospitals of the state is as follows.
1) Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, Bangalore (1866) was the only Civil medical institution till 1900 in Bangalore. It had a bed strength of 104 at the beginning and at present, it has a bed strength of 686.
2) Victoria Hospital, Bangalore (1900) inaugurated by Lord Curzon is the biggest hospital in Karnataka. To begin with the accomodation was provided to 100 inpatients. It has facilities like operation theatre, laboratory, pharmacy section etc., It is a teaching hospital. It has a burns ward sponsored by the Mahabodhi Society.
3) K.R.Hospital, Mysore (1876) was a dispensary and in 1918 it was upgraded to a general hospital. Later on, it was converted into a teaching hospital attached to Mysore Medical College. It started with a bed strength of 20 and presently the bed strength has been raised to 1,070.
4) St. Marthas Hospital, Bangalore (1886) was a 40-bed hospital. Now the bed-strength is over 600. There is a school of Nursing attached to it. All types of diseases are treated here. It is equipped with modern medical and surgical facilities.
5) Father Mueller’s Charitable Institution Mangalore had its beginning in the modest Homeopathic Poor Dispensary founded by father Mueller, a German Missionary in 1880. Gradually, it is expanded into a General Hospital by 1895. Now, it is a full- fledged general hospital with all modern facilities.
6) Mary Calvert Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore (1906) is a hospital for women and children. At present it has grown to 280-bed hospital with all modern facilities.
7) Ellen Thoburn Cowen Memorial Hospital, Kolar, (1910) is a property of Methodist Church in India. It is a 210-bed hospital.
8) Minto Regional Institute of Opthalmology, Bangalore was founded in 1913 as the Minto Opthalmology Hospital. In 1982, it was upgraded as Minto Regional Institute of Opthalmology with a provision of 277 beds.
9) The Karnataka Health Institute, Ghataprabha, Belgaum District was founded in 1935 with a purpose of bringing modern medical facilities to the doors of neglected villages. It is a 166-bed hospital along with 55- bed maternity ward. Medical and public health services 273
10) Vanivilas Hospital, Bangalore started functioning in 1935 with 250 bed strength exclusively for women and children.
11) St. Philomena’s Hospital, Banglore was founded in 1937 is one of the well equipped hospital with 255-bed provision.
12) The Kempa Cheluvamba (K. C.) General Hospital, Bangalore was started as a maternity hospital in 1939 with a provision of 40 inpatients. Later in 1962 it was converted into a General Hospital with 313 bed strength.
13) Karnataka Medical College Hospital, Hubli, started in 1960 as a teaching College with 150 beds. At present the bed strength is 770. This hospital caters to all branches of medicine with laboratory and pharmacy facilities.
14) St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore started in 1975. It is a fully equipped modern hospital to treat all types of diseases. The present bed strength is 401.
15) Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Accident, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine is an autonomous body receiving grant from Government. It started working from April 1984. The Kasturba Medical College Hospital at Manipal and the Government Medical College Hospital at Bellary are also two notable institutions.
There are many private hospitals and Nursing homes in Bangalore. Of them Manipal Hospital, Mallya Hospital and Sri Satya Sai Institute .of Higher Medical Sciences and Super Speciality Hospital in Bangalore are prominent. Manipal, Mangalore, Hubli, Belgaum etc., have full fledged private nursing homes to treat almost all major ailments.
