K'taka budget allocation for health may increase

Bangalore, Feb 17: The Karnataka Government is likely to increase the total budgetary allocation for the health sector to four per cent from the present three, State Health Minister R Ashok informed today.

Addressing newspersons after inaugurating Wockhardt Hospital's centre here, he said the World Health Organisation had recommended for earmarking over six per cent of the resources for the health sector and all efforts would be made to reach the benchmark.

Mr Ashok said his ministry had submitted a proposal to Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, also the Finance Minister, to enhance the expenditure for the health sector and the latter had agreed to increase it to four per cent this year. The Government would accord priority to strengthen the health sector infrastructure in rural areas and all the taluk hospitals would be upgraded to 50-bed hospitals.

Expressing concern over the increasing number of diabetic patients in the city, he announced that a dedicated hospital to treat diabetics would be set up here at a cost of Rs ten crore. It was likely to come up either in Indiranagar or Magadi Road.

The Minister said that to create more awareness about the dreaded HIV/AIDS, the State Government was contemplating to make HIV test compulsory for both the sexes prior to marriage. Karnataka stood sixth among the high HIV/AIDS prevalent States.

UNI