Forum wants to improve health infrastructure in Karnataka

Belagavi: Aiming to improve the health condition of people of Karnataka and to promote and strengthen the health infrastructure in state, Universal Health movement (Sarvatrik Aarogya Andolana Karnataka, SAA-K) comprising more than 34 organisations has planned to appeal and urge all political parties to include 12-factor programmes into their election manifesto.

Speaking to media at Kannada Sahitya Bhavana here on Saturday, Dr Gopal Dabade, president, Jagrut Mahila Okkoota, Goshyanatti Belagavi, briefed the 12 factor programme to be implemented, to promote and strengthen the health infrastructure in state.

When compared to other South Indian states, Karnataka is a poor performer in health service coverage. In Karnataka, maternal mortality rate is 69, while in Kerala it is 19. Child mortality rate is 21 in state, while in Kerala it is 6. There are 65.6 per cent malnourished children in the range of 6 months to 5 years in Karnataka, while in other South Indian states it is very low. Prevalence of Anaemia among women is 48 per cent in Karnataka. The figures of malnutrition, mortality rate appears still high in the backward community and backward districts like Bidar and Raichur, he explained.

All political parties have to commit and implement the right to health and law, to increase the expenditure on health from 0.8 per cent GDP to 2.5 per cent GDP, to fill the all vacant posts of health staff, to provide free medicine facilities to all like Tamil Nadu medical Service corporation, to remove the requirement of Aadhar, BPL card availing health service, to take proper action to improve the mental health of patients, to give training to the health staff regarding morals, values, ethics, proper implementation of the law for physically disabled, sexual minorities, HIV, to provide proper nutrition to tuberculosis, HIV patients, he urged to the parties.