Karnataka high court: Fill vacant posts in all government hospitals by November 30

BENGALURU: Observing that since 2017, there has been no improvement in extending healthcare facilities to pregnant women and lactating mothers in government hospitals across the state, the high court directed the Karnataka government to take immediate steps to ensure all vacant posts are filled by November 30.
On Monday, a division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka was hearing a PIL filed by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA).
The authority claimed that maternal mortality rate (MMR) is high in Karnataka, particularly in Hyderabad-Karnatak region, due to improper and inadequate treatment provided to pregnant women.
As per interim directions issued by the court, vacant posts at primary health centres (PHCs) and community service centres (CHCs) should be filled on priority.
The posts of doctors, specialised doctors, staff nurses, paramedial staff and health workers/assistants in both district and taluk hospitals must be filled by October 31.
The bench also directed the principal secretary of health and family welfare services to file a personal affidavit by March 20, laying down phase-wise schedule for filing vacancies in district and taluk hospitals.
'Appoint district committees'
The high court bench told the state government to appoint district-level committees comprising officers of appropriate high rank to monitor the functioning of taluk hospitals, PHCs, CHCs, etc on or before March 14. The district-level committees must supervise implementation of various schemes of state and central governments for pregnant women, lactating mothers and new-born babies / children, the bench said.
In its PIL, KSLSA claimed that budgetary allocation for health services in the state is shockingly abysmal, despite many ongoing health schemes. It added that Karnataka's per capita spending on health was only Rs 791, compared to Rs 849 by Tamil Nadu, Rs 1,022 by Andhra Pradesh and Rs 1,070 spent by Kerala.
"Irrespective of many health insurance schemes, the National Sample Survey (2014) showed that only 10.5 per cent of the state's population were covered by any insurance scheme," KSLSA told the court.