Hubballi: Infrastructure upgrades and philanthropic support have fuelled a remarkable turnaround at Hubballi’s Chitaguppi Hospital, with the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation-run facility recording over 1 lakh outpatient visits between Feb and Aug this year, nearly double its earlier annual footfall.The hospital, which earlier treated 50,000 to 70,000 outpatients a year, has seen its average daily footfall spike from about 90 to 600.Dr Shreedhar Dandappanavar, chief medical officer of the hospital, said the transformation began after it got a new building under the Smart City project.“It is uplifted on par with any private hospital due to generous donations from philanthropists like Majethia Foundation, HubliCity-eGroup, Inner Wheel Club’s Shipla Shetty, Vijay Shettar, Venkatesh Katwe, and MD Dawood Nadaf. Moreover, our MP and Union minister Pralhad Joshi has been instrumental in helping the hospital whenever needed,” he told TOI.The hospital has received equipment and machines worth Rs 2.8 crore since 2022, he said.“We are getting more machines and facilities worth Rs 1 crore from donors in the next six months,” he added.Sunil Nalavade of HubliCity-eGroup Facebook said Dr Dandappanavar is the hospital’s only permanent doctor.“Though it is running on contract-based doctors and staff, it is even attracting middle-class people of the city and donors. Dr Dandappanavar visits each corner of the hospital every day and checks whether bed sheets and pillow covers are changed in wards. If needed, he invites specialists from private hospitals. I also got treated there recently,” he said.Nalavade said the reforms at Chitaguppi Hospital had reduced pressure on KMC-RI Hospital.Krushi SM, a PUC student, said she was advised to get admitted to a private hospital for two days and spend around Rs 20,000 for treatment of a severe corn on her foot.“I visited Chitaguppi Hospital, where doctors cured my corn only by outpatient treatment. I could attend college on the same day after removing the corn. It was just an instance of ethical treatment,” she said.Social activist Shivashankar Aiholi said the hospital’s achievement was particularly noteworthy given its past numbers. “Keeping this aspect aside, Chitaguppi Hospital never crossed an OPD number above 50,000 in any year. Now it has set a record by treating over one lakh in six months. It may reach two lakh by the end of 2026-27. It is a matter of pride for HDMC and the govt should empower the hospital with more facilities, doctors and staff,” he said.Dr VB Nitali, former health officer of HDMC, said the hospital’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KLE Medical Hospital had helped attract more patients. “As specialists are attending at Chitaguppi Hospital, it is attracting more patients. However, the question about what happens after the MoU ends remains. The arrangement must be made permanent,” he said.
