Belagavi, Karnataka: Honorable President of India Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the KLE Dr Sampat Kumar S Shivangi Cancer Hospital at Belagavi in Karnataka on January 3, 2025.
This 300 beds hospital which has been constructed at a cost of nearly 300 crores is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities. The facility will provide cancer cure and cancer care facilities to people from Karnataka and the neighboring states of Maharashtra, Goa and Telangana.
Speaking at an event held at the District Stadium, KLE J N Medical College Campus, Madam President congratulated the KLE Society for its contributions to education and healthcare and appreciated the fact that over 50 percent of KLE institutions are in the rural areas.
She congratulated Dr Kore and the Board of Management for starting a modern and well-equipped cancer hospital. Drawing attention to the rising cases in the country, Madam President stressed on the need to address both, the physical and psychological aspects of cancer. She highlighted the positive impact of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme which has helped reduce the time between the detection and treatment of cancer. Smt Murmu called for a collective effort to address the healthcare challenges facing the nation.
Welcoming the gathering, Dr Prabhakar Kore, Honorable Chairman KLE Society recounted the journey of KLE Society since its inception in 1916 by the seven teachers, the “Saptarishis” and three benevolent founder patrons in the form of a single school. “KLE today is an organization of global repute with 310 institutions providing quality education to over 1,45,000 students from pre primary to post-doctoral studies. The organization has a healthcare network that comprises over 4500 beds,” he said.
He drew attention to the rising cancer cases and said that by establishing the hospital, KLE has brought world class treatment at affordable costs to the doorsteps of people who earlier needed to go to metro cities for treatment. He expressed satisfaction over the accomplishment of a dream by KLE Society and added that the hospital will also provide facilities for rehabilitation, palliative care, cancer education and research. Dr Kore thanked Dr Sampat Kumar Shivangi and his family who donated nearly Rs.8 crores for the establishment of the hospital.
Guest of Honour Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi appreciated the work done by KLE Society in education and healthcare over the years. He highlighted the importance of early diagnosis in treatment of cancer and congratulated Dr Prabhakar Kore and the Board of Management for setting up a full-fledged cancer hospital. He opined that the hospital will provide essential and modern healthcare services especially to people from villages in the region.
