A qualitative change in the medical scenario of Northern Karnataka was ushered in 1996 with commissioning of the new 1990 - bedded K.L.E.S. Hospital & Medical Research Centre at Belgaum. Meticulously planned for the 21 "century, the hospital has State - of - the - art facilities catering to all disciplines of Medicine. The hospital has in a very short time introduced several new services that were hitherto unheard of in the region, including Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Lithotripsy, Gamma Camera etc.

K.L.E.S. Hospital & Medical Research Centre has exploded the myth that large. Multispecialty hospital cannot be set up in a small town like Belgaum, thus breaking the monopoly of the metropolitan cities in this respect. The Hospital is the most comprehensive Medical Centre in the entire region of North - Karnataka with a gamut of facilities incorporating the latest developments in the field of medical technology, bringing Belgaum on par, or even better than most hospitals in the country. In fact, K.L.E.S. Hospital claims that its facilities and services are comparable with the best hospitals around the world.

Already a name to reckon with the medical arena, the Hospital is recognized by the Goa Government under their Mediclaim Scheme and also for reimbursement of medical expenses for Government servants. Besides, a number of industries and institutions in Goa (such as Sesa Goa Ltd.), Maharashtra and Karnataka, have approved the hospital for treatment of their employees and dependents. E.S.I. Hospital Dandeli and Goa have started sending patients to the hospital for specialty and super - specialty services. With the excellent success rate of the hospital, more and more organisations are beginning to avail the multiple benefits of hi-tech facilities and amenities, close geographical proximity and economical pattern of charges.

Set in a sprawling, picturesque 16-acre plot of land on Pune - Bangalore highway, the hospital presents a pleasant ambience with lawns and gardens designed to put the patient at ease and prepare him to undergo treatment in a positive frame of mind. Within the hospital too, there are large halls and spacious reception and waiting areas, wide corridors and a clever design that obviates the need for artificial lighting during the day. The dingy , depressing hospital interiors to which we are used to, remains but an unpleasant memory of the past is this airy, cheerful edifice.

Built and equipped at a cost of nearly Rs. 100 crores, K.L.E.S Hospital is a teaching hospital attached to the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, from which it draws most of the medical staff, in addition to its own. Hence, unlike corporate hospitals, there is a strong academic bias in the medical treatment at K.L.E.S. Hospital, for the benefit of the patients. The accent on learning has resulted in constant upgrading and improvement of services, a rare phenomenon among hospitals in our country.

The Hospital has all basic specialties such as General Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, E.N.T., Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Paediatrics, Dermatology, Chest Diseases, Psychiatry, etc. In addition to the overall infrastructural facilities for broad specialties, the hospital offers the services of super specialities like Cardiology, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Urology, Nephrology, Neurology, Neuro-Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Neonatology, Gastroenterology, Oncology, Diabetology, Geriatrics, Assisted Reproduction Centre etc.

The clinical services are comprehensively supported by the state-of the - art diagnostic and support facilities such as CT scan, 'C' Arm with Image Intensifier, 800 mA X-ray machine, various endoscopes, Ultrasonography, etc. A Gamma Camera is functioning for thyroid, brain, bone and other studies. The Magnetic Resonace Imaging (MRI) is planned in the near future. The laboratories are equipped with auto-analysers, blood gas analysers, electrolyte analyzers and other modern machines for quicker and more accurate analysis of samples. The Hospital has modernized the Blood Bank by adding modern equipments to the tune of approximately 80 lakhs and has got status of Regional Blood Bank.