Bengaluru, March 12 Concerns over the lack of emergency medical facilities for workers at the Hatti Gold Mines in Raichur district were raised in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday, with BJP MLA Manappa D. Vajjal urging the government to establish a hospital in the area.
Raising the issue in the House, Vajjal, who represents the Lingasugur Assembly constituency, said around 6,000 workers are employed at the Hatti Gold Mines and work day and night underground, but there is not a single hospital within a 100-kilometre radius to treat them during medical emergencies such as heart attacks.
He alleged that the company has made arrangements for hospital facilities for workers in Belagavi and Bengaluru, forcing workers to travel long distances for treatment. “In cases of heart attacks, workers have to travel nearly 100 kilometres and many have died on the way due to the delay in getting treatment,” he said.
Vajjal said the lack of medical infrastructure affects not only workers but also residents of the surrounding areas.
He cited a recent incident in which a Valmiki seer suffered a heart attack at the Hatti Gold Mines convention centre. According to the MLA, there was no doctor or even basic medicines available at the location at the time of the incident. The seer was first taken to Raichur for treatment and later shifted to Hyderabad for advanced care.
“The situation is so grave that even basic medical facilities are unavailable. Fortunately, the seer survived after being shifted to Hyderabad,” he said.
Vajjal further pointed out that the Hatti Gold Mines generates around Rs 1,000 crore in revenue annually and it is the only company which supplies gold to the country. He said the government would not need to spend additional funds if the company itself allocated resources to establish a hospital.
“There is no shortage of money. The government calls tenders worth thousands of crores for drains to be built there. Can’t a hospital be built for the workers?” he asked, urging the government to take the matter seriously and issue an order.
Responding to the issue, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Sharan Prakash Patil said the government is working towards establishing super speciality hospitals in every district.
He noted that setting up a full-fledged cardiac centre at the taluk level may not be sustainable because specialists such as cardiologists may find it difficult to settle in smaller towns.
“If a cardiac centre is to be established, it requires specialists and infrastructure. Establishing a super speciality hospital at the taluk level may not be sustainable. However, a medical speciality hospital could be considered,” the minister said.
Patil added that he would discuss the matter with the President of the Hatti Gold Mines Company and examine whether funds could be allocated for improving medical facilities in the area.
“There is a large industry there and thousands of workers are employed. I agree that the situation needs improvement. I will verify the matter and discuss it with the President of the Hatti Gold Mines,” he said.
Vajjal insisted that the matter was serious and required immediate attention, noting that Lingasugur taluk has a large number of labourers because of the mining operations.
“This is a serious issue and the government only needs to issue an order. The situation in other taluks may be different, but Lingasugur has the Hatti Gold Mines and thousands of workers,” he said.
Patil replied that the Hatti Gold Mines Company functions independently and reiterated that he would discuss the issue with its management.
During the discussion, Speaker U.T. Khader intervened and directed the minister to immediately arrange high-end ambulance services equipped with emergency medical facilities for workers at the mining site.
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