Indian Red Cross Society, Dakshina Kannada unit, Youth Red Cross of Mangalore University and Wenlock Hospital jointly set up a community service centre at OPD of Wenlock District Hospital on Tuesday.
Patients from not only Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, but also from Chitradurga, Davangere, Shivamogga, Kasargod, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu visit the hospital for treatment. The community service centre is useful to provide information to the patients. More than 30 volunteers in the age group of 60 to 75 years have registered at the community service centre, centre member Dr Venkatramana Pai said.
He said even students are showing keen interest to serve as volunteers. A timetable has been prepared for the volunteers. For the benefit of the patients and their attendants, weekly magazines and monthly magazines will also be made available in the library, he said.
District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said that over one thousand patients visit the hospital daily. The centre will provide them information on the available treatment and the doctors at the hospital, he said.
He said that basic facilities will be provided to the hospital. It is true that there is a shortage of staff in the hospital. The government will take up the recruitment process at the earliest. All the government hospitals should provide transparent service to the patients, he added.
Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said that this is a novel project. An information board on the same will be mounted on the hospital premises, she said.
MLA Vedavyasa Kamath distributed jackets to the volunteers and Youth Red Cross unit members.