Redeployment of specialist doctors from CHCs to taluk hospitals done to reduce neonatal mortality, says Karnataka Health Minister

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that redeployment of gynaecologists and anaesthetists from community health centres (CHCs) in rural areas with lesser deliveries to taluk hospitals was done in an effort to reduce neonatal deaths after an audit of neonatal deaths in different areas of the State.

Replying to a debate on issues related to the Health Department in the Assembly, the Minister sought to allay fears that redeployment of gynaecologists and anaesthetists from CHCs to taluk hospitals would affect the rural health sector, as alleged by the Opposition.

“The audit into neonatal deaths pointed towards a lack of availability of such specialists in taluk hospitals. It also threw light on the fact that these specialists did not have much work in the CHCs. Hence, the government took up the initiative to upgrade the taluk hospitals to the level of district hospitals by ensuring round-the-clock availability of such specialists in taluk hospitals,” he explained.

“We have evolved a protocol as per which the taluk hospitals should ensure round-the-clock availability of two gynaecologists, two anaesthetists, two paediatricians, and a radiologist,” he explained.

He sought to downplay fears of the PHCs work getting affected by pointing out that two doctors with MBBS qualification were being deployed in place of specialists who were moved out from CHCs. He argued that in case of complications, people could always reach the taluk hospitals.

NMR in State

The neonatal mortality rate (NMR) that stood at 62 in the State in 2022-23 had reduced to 59 in 2023-24 and 57 in 2024-25 and 48 so far in the present year, the Minister said. The government had set a target of reducing it further to 38 by 2028, he noted.

Refuting allegations that rural health needs had been ignored, the Minister maintained that as against the norms that there should be a primary health centre for a population of 20,000 to 30,000, 97 PHCs in Karnataka had a population of around 5,000 under them. Similarly, 372 PHCs had a population coverage of 5,000 to 10,000, he pointed out.

However, not satisfied by the Minister’s reply, the Opposition members staged a walkout