Bengaluru, March 12 (NationPress) The absence of adequate emergency medical services for the workforce at the Hatti Gold Mines in Raichur district was brought to light in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday. BJP MLA Manappa D. Vajjal highlighted the urgent need for a hospital in the vicinity.

During the assembly session, Vajjal, who represents the Lingasugur Assembly constituency, pointed out that approximately 6,000 workers are employed at the Hatti Gold Mines, working tirelessly underground. Shockingly, there is not a single hospital within a 100-kilometre radius to provide treatment during medical emergencies, such as heart attacks.

He criticized the company for only facilitating hospital services in Belagavi and Bengaluru, necessitating lengthy travel for workers needing urgent care. “In heart attack scenarios, workers are forced to journey nearly 100 kilometres, leading to fatalities on the way due to delays in treatment,” he stated.

Vajjal emphasized that the lack of medical infrastructure not only impacts the workers but also the local population.

He recounted a recent incident where a Valmiki seer suffered a heart attack at the Hatti Gold Mines convention centre. At the time, there were no doctors or even basic medications available. The seer had to be transported first to Raichur and later to Hyderabad for advanced treatment.

“The situation is dire, with even basic medical services unavailable. Thankfully, the seer survived after being relocated to Hyderabad,” he added.

Vajjal further noted that the Hatti Gold Mines generates around Rs 1,000 crore annually and is the sole company supplying gold to the nation. He argued that the government wouldn't need to allocate additional funds if the company took the initiative to set up a hospital.

“There is no shortage of financial resources. The government allocates tenders worth crores for drainage systems. Why can't a hospital be constructed for the workers?” he questioned, urging the government to address this pressing matter.

In response, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihood Sharan Prakash Patil mentioned that the government is working on establishing super-speciality hospitals in every district.

He pointed out that setting up a full-fledged cardiac centre at the taluk level may not be feasible due to the challenges of attracting specialists like cardiologists to smaller towns.

“To establish a cardiac centre, we need specialists and proper infrastructure. A super-speciality hospital at the taluk level may not be sustainable; however, we can consider a medical speciality hospital,” the minister noted.

Patil also stated that he would confer with the President of the Hatti Gold Mines Company to explore the possibility of allocating funds to enhance medical facilities in the region.

“There is significant industry presence, employing thousands of workers. I acknowledge that improvements are necessary. I will verify the situation and discuss it with the company's President,” he remarked.

Vajjal reiterated the seriousness of the issue, emphasizing the large workforce in Lingasugur taluk due to mining activities.

“This is a critical matter, and the government needs to issue an order promptly. While circumstances may differ in other taluks, Lingasugur is home to the Hatti Gold Mines and thousands of workers,” he emphasized.

Patil responded by reiterating that the Hatti Gold Mines Company operates independently and committed to discussing the issue with its management.

During the debate, Speaker U.T. Khader intervened, instructing the minister to promptly arrange for high-end ambulance services equipped with emergency medical capabilities for the workers at the mining site.