Posted By :  Admin1

Bengaluru: Shortage of 16,000 Medical Professionals Prompts Karnataka High Court to Issue Notice to State Government. Responding to a newspaper report citing a study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the High Court took cognizance and directed the registrar general to file a public interest litigation. Upon consideration of the PIL, the bench, headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit, issued notices and subsequently adjourned the hearing. The PIL has requested the court to direct the government to fill all vacancies for medical practitioners and to submit a report outlining strategies for the implementation of budgetary allocations on healthcare and health infrastructure. The PIL states, "Health services in Karnataka, especially in rural areas, are in dire straits. With the alarming surge in epidemics, the state health services, which are understaffed and ill-equipped to handle the increasing number of patients, are at risk of collapsing." Additionally, the PIL asserts a 'complete lack of coordination and supervision' by Respondent No. 2 (Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka) in the implementation of various health strategies, resulting in a significant gap from achieving the intended outcomes. According to the FICCI report titled '$1 Trillion Economy Karnataka’s Vision,' 454 rural areas are experiencing a shortage of primary health centers, with deficiencies noted in the numbers of 723 MBBS doctors, 7492 nurses, 1517 lab technicians, 1512 pharmacists, 1752 attendants, and 3253 Group D Staff.