Heritage hospitals in Mysore get new lease of life

On the cusp of historic centenary celebrations in 2024, the Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) is gearing up to make the centenary a memorable one with renovated and refurbished heritage infrastructure. The repairs and renovation works at an estimated cost of Rs. 89.5 crore are expected to be completed in December 2023.

The most-awaited restoration of Mysuru’s public hospitals — K.R. Hospital, Cheluvamba Hospital, PKTB Sanatorium and the Boys and Girls Hostels of Medical College — was approved and funds were sanctioned by the previous BJP Government. The Hospitals are located in the core Heritage Zone of Mysuru and are the most sought after by the people from Mysuru and neighbouring districts.

The restoration had become a necessity as the structures, dating back to the times of Mysore Maharajas, had become weak. Many portions were leaking, causing short circuits and the medical students and staff of some sections were functioning in a dangerous condition.

Funds were released by the Basavaraj Bommai Government following appeals by MP Pratap Simha, former MLA L. Nagendra and former Dean and Director of MMC&RI Dr H.N. Dinesh.

For the record, the MMC&RI is Karnataka’s first and India’s seventh medical institute which was initially established in the Victoria Hospital campus in Bengaluru in 1924. It was later relocated to Mysuru two years after its inception.

According to historical records, academic activities began in August. The 75th anniversary was celebrated in August as well, and now plans are underway for the centenary celebration, also scheduled for August 2024.

Funds were released for renovation, upgradation and repairs of heritage structures. “Global tenders were called through the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) for 14 works and a work order was issued and renovation has begun in full swing,” the current Dean and Director of MMC&RI Dr K.R. Dakshayani told Star of Mysore.

Under the project, the repairs and renovation of all the wards of K.R. Hospital Surgical Block or the Stone Building have been taken up including re-laying of tiles and refurbishing toilets, and walls, filling of cracks in outer and inner walls, plugging of leaking roofs and floor works.

New operation theatres
Works have also been taken up to repair and restore Operation Theatres (OTs) in the Surgical Block and certain OTs have even started functioning after restoration. The roof, side walls and the gap between the roof and the wall were leaky, leading to fungus growth and weakening of the heritage structure.

The priority repair works were carried out in the OTs as there is high pressure on patient admission and surgeries. The roofing works have been kept pending as a team of structural engineers and building experts from the National Institute of Engineering (NIE) have already visited the structure a couple of times to assess the damage caused by weather and lack of maintenance all these years. The team is expected to submit a report today, suggesting remedial measures as part of an Integrated Roof Treatment System.

The scale of completion
“Over 60 percent of the works at Surgical Block and Seetharanga Block have been completed, 40 percent of Obstetrics and Gynaecology-Out Patient Department (OBG-OPD) Block and Blood Bank Unit have been completed and at present, the renovation works of the Ophthalmology Block are underway and the existing Ophthalmology facilities have been shifted to Special Wards, not to cause any obstruction to the repair works and keeping patient convenience in mind,” she added.

Some of the pending works include the Main OPD Block, Emergency Block, Minor OT, Casualty and Admin Block of the K.R. Hospital. Works are also pending at PKTB Sanatorium, Boys Hostel and Labour Wards of Cheluvamba Hospital where the renovation will be taken up subsequently.

Works to end in December
All the 14 works are scheduled to be completed by December 2023 and this condition has been imposed in the tender. “Already 40 to 50 percent of some of the works have been completed now and we are on track,” the Dean and Director said.

Before the renovation works are taken up at a particular wing or a location, the existing facilities are shifted to available vacant spaces and also to the Princess Krishnajammanni Super Speciality Hospital and Trauma Care Centre at the premises of PKTB Sanatorium on KRS Road so that thousands of patients who come to the hospitals every day are not inconvenienced. Star of Mysore