Maternal deaths down by 24% in 2025: Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao

Bengaluru: The maternal deaths in the state have gone down by 24% compared to the previous year, said Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health and Family Welfare. In 2024, 483 maternal deaths were reported till October and this year 366 deaths have been reported till October. 

The department is deploying two gynaecologists, anaesthetists, paediatrics and radiologists at all 147 taluk hospitals and 42 Community Healthcare Centers (CHCs), where more than 30 deliveries take place every month, and these centers will be considered as Comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care centers(CEmONC). In district-level hospitals four gynaecologists, four anesthetists and two pediatrics will be deployed. 

The doctors will be sourced from the underperforming CHCs. A total of 200 CHCs are considered low-performing centers and among them 162 CHCs have recorded zero deliveries this year. Staff nurses at underperforming Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) will be transferred to high-performing centers. 

The department has created posts for 104 radiologists and 23 physicians. Every CHC will either have a paediatrician or physician and two other MBBS doctors for efficient functioning.

Additionally to provide advanced care, 125 super-specialist posts including Cardiologists, Nephrologists, Neurologists and many more are being created under the Compulsory Medical Service Scheme across 15 district hospitals. To maintain the discipline and efficiency of the staff, the department has made it compulsory for the staff to record attendance through mobile based videos every morning and evening. 

Harsh Gupta, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, said, “The department is also asking for video attendance randomly during the working hours to ensure that the doctors are in the hospitals.”

Speaking about the measures, Rao said the measures are being taken to increase the trust of people in the public healthcare system. “65% of the deliveries happen in government hospitals and 35% in private hospitals, we want to reach 90% especially outside Bengaluru,” said Health Minister.