Karnataka's Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao, has issued a strong directive to officials to launch an aggressive awareness campaign against the practice of female foeticide. The minister gave these orders during a progress review meeting for the health department covering eight districts under the Mysuru division.
Intensifying the Fight Against Female Foeticide
Chairing the meeting at the Regional Commissioner's office in Mysuru, Minister Rao emphasized the urgent need to curb sex-selective abortions. He instructed officers to intensify awareness drives specifically in districts where cases of female foeticide are reported. A key action point was the directive to collect and analyze the sex ratio data for the period from April to October of this year, which will help target interventions more effectively.
The minister also linked maternal care to the broader goal of preventing female mortality. He ordered health workers to identify high-risk pregnancies early and ensure proper screening and monitoring for safe deliveries. This holistic approach aims to protect both mothers and unborn girls.
Boosting Infant Care Infrastructure
The review meeting revealed a distressing statistic: more than 914 infants died in the Mysuru division districts between April and October this year. In response, Minister Rao announced immediate measures to strengthen healthcare infrastructure. He pledged to increase the number of ICU beds and ventilators and to ensure better facilities across state-run hospitals in the region to tackle infant mortality.
Expanding Screening for Non-Communicable Diseases
Beyond maternal and infant health, the minister focused on broader public health initiatives. He directed officials to ramp up screening programs for cancer, hypertension, and diabetes under the Griha Arogya scheme. The meeting also reviewed the status of existing welfare programs.
Records indicated that approximately 143 children are receiving daycare chemotherapy across Mysuru, Mandya, Kodagu, and Hassan districts. Furthermore, the Dr. Punith Rajkumar Hrudayajyothi scheme has benefited 1,646 people in the division, providing crucial cardiac care.
The high-level meeting was attended by MLC C N Manjegowda, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Shivakumar, National Health Mission Director Dr. Vasanthkumar, and Mysuru Zilla Panchayat CEO S Ukesh Kumar, underscoring the government's commitment to addressing these critical health issues.
