From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 4: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar said the year 2022 was a year of comprehensive development of health infrastructure in the State, which was unprecedented in a single year.

Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru on Wednesday on the performance of his department during the last year, the minister said neonatal mortality rate down from 16 to 14 while the sex ratio at birth increased from 910 to 978 during the year.

Karnataka was among the top 3 states in e-Sanjeevini tele-medicine consultation and the State registered significant achievements, he said.

Sharing data about the significant achievements of the Health Department in 2022, he said the schemes of the Union and State Governments have been implemented effectively and the right to health has been given to all.

Model state in health sector

He said Karnataka has emerged as a model state in the health sector by adopting modern technology.

Maternal and infant mortality is the yardstick to measure the standard of healthcare available in any state. Maternal and infant mortality rate decreased from 83 to 69 per cent.

According to National Family Health Survey - 5 (NFHS-5) the sex ratio at birth improved from 910 to 978, infant mortality rate from 21 to 19 per cent, neonatal mortality rate from 16 to 14 per cent.

It is significant that 97% of institutional deliveries have been recorded, he said explaining that under the 'Deafness free Karnataka' initiative, cochlear implants are being installed in newborn babies to cure their hearing impairment.

A total of 68% of hospitals have been accredited under the ‘Lakshya’ program and 55 services have been certified at the national level.

Sanctioning 42,524 ASHA workers, leading implementation and reporting on WHO portal, 3rd position in e-Sanjeevini tele-medical consultation are also noteworthy achievements, Minister Sudhakar said.

"We stand first in outpatient tele-consultation with 61.99 lakh tele consultations conducted till November,’’ he said.

There is a significant achievement in the number of tele-counseling for people needing mental health assistance under the state mental health management system e-Manas.

e-Manas was presented at the “Swasthya Chintan Shibir” held in Gujarat in May under the best practices.

The tele-medicine system has been implemented under the National Health Mission to provide services of experts working in super speciality hospitals to the poor and to enable access to quick advice and treatment from specialists.

A total of 3200 general doctors, 600 specialist doctors and 100 super speciality doctors are working in medical colleges and providing medical consultations in shifts, Dr Sudhakar said.

Kayakalpa Award

Karnataka is the first state to start super specialty DNB courses in district hospitals, DNB and diploma courses in taluk hospitals. In 2020-21, 8 HWCs received the Kayakalpa Award for the first time and a total of 51 public health facility centers were certified according to NQAS at the national level, the minister said.

In the first phase, 114 “Namma Clinics” have been started. Works to start 128 women's clinics and 128 polyclinics in urban areas are underway. Citizen helplines are being started in district hospitals and it is being extended to taluk level hospitals as well.

Actions have been taken to establish breast milk bank at Vani Vilas Hospital and to establish 4 additional breast milk banks regionally.

Minister Sudhakar said the treatment centers have been opened in all district hospitals, government medical college hospitals for free diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis.

Arogya Nandana

Amidst the Covid pandemic, 65 lakh children have been screened through Swasthya Kiran online reporting and tracking system.

Minister Sudhakar said RBSK team along with pediatricians are conducting health checks of children in villages every day through 'Arogyanandana' for the health care of rural children and 69,21,179 children out of 1.7 crore have been examined.

Dialysis services are available in all districts and 167 centers. 75% - 5.9 crore people are registered under the Karnataka Comprehensive Primary Health Care Scheme, including 2.82 crore under 30 years age group and 1.43 crore people were tested for non-communicable diseases and Karnataka ranked first in registration and second in testing.

Chikkamagaluru district ranks first in the country, the minister expressed happiness that Karnataka is a state with excellent potential.

A total of 35,73,295 (56.68%) children were screened under the school eye screening programme.

State MRI services have been started in 6 district hospitals under PPP model and are being extended to 15 districts.

The state has bagged 14 medals including 5 silver and 9 bronze for reducing the notified tuberculosis rate. For the first time, he said the system of detecting tuberculosis through remote radio radiation centers has been started in five districts under artificial intelligence technology.

Improvement in ambulance service

To provide world-class modern medical services, the government has invited a new tender for 108 Arogya Kavacha Ambulance and 104 Arogya Sahaivani Arogya Helpline service.

A sum of Rs 5,426 crore from Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust is being released for the treatment of 42 lakh beneficiaries. Minister Sudhakar said that Jyoti Sanjeevini Scheme, Karnataka Health Sanjeevini Scheme, Organ Transplantation Scheme and Deafness Aid Scheme had been implemented well.

Distribution of Ayushman Bharat Cards

"We are rapidly distributing free Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Janarogya –
Aarogya Karnataka co-branded PVC identity cards which has a total of 1.22 crore beneficiaries registered," the minister said.

He said 746 Senior Medical Officers of Special Sector, General Duty Medical
Officers – 1048 General Duty Medical Officers and 88- Dental Health Officers and Family Welfare Officers are being directly recruited.

Online application has been invited for filling up 320 para medical posts and 558 remaining basic group posts in Kalyan Karnataka Group and the recruitment process is in progress, Dr Sudhakar said.

Emphasis on mental health

Under the Karnataka Brain Health Program for treatment of neurological diseases NIMHANS has been identified at tertiary level, district hospitals as secondary level and brain health clinics at PHCs as primary level institutions for diagnosis of mental health and neurological conditions.

"We are constructing a 30-bed Community Based Health Centers in the 100 most stressed Primary Health Centres at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Additionally, 43 primary health centers will be converted into community health centers at a cost of Rs. 44,832 lakh,’’ he said.

Kalyan Karnataka Regional Development Board is constructing 47 new Primary Health Centers and is ranked first in the Verified Health Care Professionals Registry in providing HPR identity cards and services.

"Karnataka is the recipient of the Ayushman Excellence Award under the Rajya Arogya Manthan, and is the single largest state to have medical colleges among 30 public hospitals in the sector of medical college hospitals.

Karavara Institute of Medical Sciences teaching hospital has emerged as the premier medical college teaching hospital in the country. Currently 22 hospitals are registered under S.A.S.T., Dr Sudhakar said.