Karnataka formulates blueprint for public healthcare

The health department is set to release an exhaustive vision document for an overhaul of Karnataka’s health systems at the primary, secondary and tertiary care levels for the next 10 to 20 years, on Friday, when chief minister Basavaraj Bommai completes six months in office.

There are about 30 senior experts from various disciplines who are working on this report and about 750 experts have contributed to this over the last one year. The exercise was led by former director of Nimhans Dr G Gururaj.

For example, in the cardiology speciality, experts have suggested a hub and spoke model for management of heart attacks in taluk and district hospitals, and peripheral centres.

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Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar told reporters on Tuesday, “The health department is coming up with a vision document. It lays down a comprehensive roadmap for overhaul of public health care at all three levels, primary, secondary and tertiary. CM Basavaraj Bommai will release the vision document.”

Dr C N Manjunath, one of the experts of the cardiology sub-committee of the vision document team, told DH that he has suggested establishing a system to manage heart attacks in semi-urban and rural government hospitals. The STEMI India heart attack management programme is based on a hub and spoke model.

“Heart attack management is time driven. If there’s a delay, there will be complications, including death. The hub can be Jayadeva or private hospitals in the region. Spokes can be taluk hospitals, which will give initial medical treatment, before shifting the patient to the nearest tertiary care centre. Taluk hospitals will be mapped to tertiary care hospitals,” Dr Manjunath said.

He said this project was discussed with the CM on Monday, when it was proposed to have the project in 75 taluks across the state.

“The project will be implemented in 15 taluks each in the five revenue divisions of Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Bengaluru, Hubballi and Mangaluru. An agency will be appointed to monitor this. Its responsibility will be to train doctors and nurses in taluk hospitals,” the minister said.

All these places will be provided with heart attack management kits, which will have an ECG, defribillator and an in-built app which will relay the ECG results, once it is taken to the hub.

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