You are Arjuna, nothing will happen to you, Karnataka CM comforts young cancer patients at Kidwai

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visiting Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bengaluru on Saturday

“Partha means Arjuna. You are Arjuna. Nothing will happen to you. Go to school and study well,” Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told Parthasarathy, a young boy undergoing treatment for blood cancer, during his visit to the State-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology on Saturday. The boy, from Hosur, was one of the many children the Chief Minister interacted with on Saturday.

The visit to the Kapoor Children’s Ward on the occasion of Children’s Day saw the Chief Minister move from one bed to another, speaking to young patients, asking about their hometowns and dreams, and distributing chocolates and drawing books.

When he approached Pooja from Humnabad, he asked her if she knew who he was. “You are D.K. Shivakumar, the Chief Minister,” she replied, adding that she hoped to become a teacher one day.

The Chief Minister also met two-year-old Jayalakshmi, who was recovering after treatment, and spoke to her mother, Anitha, who had brought the child from Kalaburagi. A little girl, Lekhana from Raichur, who was waiting to meet him with a rose, told him that she would turn 10 in December.

Moving to the general ward, Mr. Shivakumar sat beside children from different parts of the State. When the mother of Rithvik from Kanakapura brought to his notice that the family’s ration card had been changed from BPL to APL, he directed officials to take steps to restore its BPL status.

The Chief Minister also interacted with mothers accompanying children from different districts, asking whether the hospital was providing all facilities and whether anyone was demanding money. He assured them that cancer treatment facilities would be established in their respective districts.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Shivakumar said it was distressing to see very young children battling cancer and parents spending days in hospitals caring for them.

The government had directed Kidwai to increase its bed capacity by 200. The institute had also sought three acres of land to construct accommodation for caregivers. The request would be examined, he said.

The recent Cabinet meeting had approved the procurement of an additional robotic surgical system and other medical equipment for the institute.

Mr. Shivakumar said around 3.5 lakh patients visited Kidwai annually, with an average of 1,000 patients a day. People from other States, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, also came to the institute for treatment.

The government aimed to establish cancer treatment facilities in every district to reduce the need for patients to travel to Bengaluru. Facilities had already been established in Tumakuru, Mysuru and Ballari, while expansion was planned in Kalaburagi and Raichur, he said.