Thu Dec 12 20:01:27 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka’s Public Health System Criticized in CAG Report
**Belagavi, Karnataka – December 13, 2024** – A new report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has revealed significant shortcomings in Karnataka’s public health infrastructure and management. The report, tabled in the State legislature on Thursday, covers the period 2016-2022 and focuses on the implementation of the Karnataka Integrated Public Health Policy.
The CAG found that the policy’s implementation was inadequate due to a lack of prescribed norms or a failure to adopt existing national norms. Even where norms were established, they often didn’t align with national standards. The report also highlighted a critical shortage of healthcare personnel, falling significantly short of the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), particularly in hospitals with over 300 beds. Vacancy rates for doctors, nurses, and paramedics ranged from 29% to 53%, with tertiary care facilities and AYUSH hospitals experiencing the most severe shortages (59%).
The report further noted that inadequate staffing impacted maternity services, which were also affected by drug shortages and a lack of prescribed pathological investigations. The average stillbirth rate varied widely across inspected hospitals, ranging from 0 to 44.19. Finally, the CAG criticized the improper storage of medicine in many hospitals.
The findings raise serious concerns about the quality and accessibility of healthcare services in Karnataka and underscore the need for immediate improvements in staffing, infrastructure, and adherence to established norms.
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