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Dinesh Gundu Rao said every case of maternal death was being looked into to understand the reason and stern action would be taken against those found responsible
Dinesh Gundu Rao told News18 that several probes are ongoing to get to the bottom of the incidents. (Image: PTI File)
The report of another maternal death in Karnataka’s Sindhanur, just 10 days after a woman gave birth to a girl at the taluk government hospital, has raised serious concerns within the state’s health ministry, prompting the health department to closely monitor medical aid and facilities across Karnataka.
The family of the Sindhanur patient has alleged medical negligence. In light of this, along with the maternal deaths in Ballari, the health department has been instructed to take stern action against those responsible for the incidents and negligent behaviour, if found to be so.
The efforts include auditing recent maternal deaths to determine if substandard or contaminated drugs played a role, and bringing the Karnataka State Drugs Control Department under the oversight of the Commissioner of Food Safety. The department is also scrutinising the tendering and auditing processes of the Drugs Control Department to prevent similar incidents in the future.
News18 spoke to Karnataka’s health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on the maternal deaths and action taken by the government to prevent medical negligence as well as action against those involved.
Edited excerpts:
There has been a lot of focus on the recent reports of a number of fatalities among lactating mothers, those who underwent Caesarean section a well as infants at birth. There have been five such cases in Ballari. BJP is also raising the issue about similar cases in Belagavi. What could be the reason behind this? The numbers look quite startling.
See, what has happened in Ballari, of course, is something we are looking at, because it is something abnormal. Those five deaths are really worrisome, and we are trying to get to the bottom of it. Various investigations are ongoing, and we are examining what could have caused it. This is something very serious, and we are taking it very seriously.
But I think what they BJP are talking about in Belagavi is unnecessarily creating hype about the number of deaths. Every year, some number of infant and maternal deaths occur. This year in Belgaum, 29 maternal deaths have taken place so far, from April to October, along with 325 infant deaths. However, if you look at the total number of live births, which is 37,522 out of 38,620 total births, the infant mortality rate (IMR) is actually 8.7 per thousand.
This is far below Karnataka’s average of 19 and much lower than the national average as well. These deaths occur due to various reasons, and if you consider the infant mortality rate in Belgaum, it is actually fairly good. Simply picking up a number and trying to blow it out of proportion, suggesting that all these 325 deaths happened due to sheer negligence, is just fear-mongering and vilification.
Our doctors and hospitals are working hard, and this kind of narrative creates a bad name for government hospitals. It also disheartens the doctors, nurses, and staff working in these institutions. Without knowing the facts, talking about it in this manner is definitely unwarranted.
In fact, in 2022-23, Belgaum recorded 684 infant deaths, and in 2021, there were 669. So, the numbers this year are significantly lower in comparison. And last year, it had actually dropped to 463. So, this year, let us see what the final figure will be. But this is uncalled for. It’s an attempt to hype things up and tarnish the government’s reputation. It’s a falsification and misleading campaign being driven by some sections of the media and, of course, political opponents like the BJP.
What do you say about the numbers, especially given that you’ve called this a vilification campaign to target the Congress government in Karnataka? The BJP revealed shocking statistics, stating that 29 mothers had died in Belagavi district over the past six months, while 322 newborns had succumbed in the last year, attributing this crisis to gross negligence and mismanagement by the Congress-led government. What is your justification? What’s the reason for these deaths? Are they caused by medical negligence?
See, there are always certain complications in pregnancies and births. Like I said, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in Belgaum is much better than Karnataka’s state average, and far better than the national average. That means our teams in Belgaum are doing a better job in comparison.
Yes, deaths do happen, and I’m not saying we shouldn’t minimise them further. In fact, I want the IMR to drop to less than five, even less than four. Ideally, we’d like to bring it down to zero, but there’s no place in the world where IMR is zero. Some deaths occur, and they can be due to a variety of medical reasons.
What I’m emphasising is that this is not something new. It’s not as if these incidents never happened before. In fact, when the BJP was in power, I don’t want to compare statistics in this manner. It is just not right to say so many infant deaths happened in the Congress regime or BJP. It is inhuman to compare like that. Having said that, in 2021, there were 669 infant deaths in Belgaum under the BJP governance. In 2021-22, there were 600 infant deaths.
This campaign that the BJP is running… They’re just trying to instil fear, dishearten doctors, demoralise healthcare workers, and create panic among the public without understanding what these numbers actually mean. This is irresponsible and unfair.
Karnataka, from April to now, has recorded about 327 maternal deaths. This includes cases from both public and private healthcare facilities. So, without knowing the facts, simply just taking up a number, and talking about it in this manner, is definitely not warranted. In fact, in 2022-23, in Belgaum, there were 684 infant deaths. In 2021, there were 669.
What steps are being taken to address this issue?
I have instructed my team to examine every maternal death to determine the cause, whether it stems from medical negligence, poor practices, or is due to natural medical reasons. This has to be approached scientifically and systematically instead of exaggerating the issue.
Following the Ballari deaths, you set up an inquiry, especially concerning the drug suspected to have caused complications. Will this inquiry be extended to the rest of the state if similar cases arise?
Since April this year, there have been around 327 maternal deaths across Karnataka, both in public and private hospitals. I have instructed my team to investigate each case to determine the cause of death — whether it is due to medical malpractice, other factors, or natural medical reasons. We aim to approach this issue scientifically, rather than blowing things out of proportion.
An inquiry has already been set up, particularly following the deaths in Ballari. This inquiry is focusing on the use of a specific drug that is believed to have contributed to the issues with these mothers. The inquiry will also be extended to other parts of the state if similar cases arise.
We must work towards further reducing maternal mortality rates. Additionally, we need to determine if other deaths have occurred due to factors beyond natural medical causes, such as negligence or the use of substandard drugs.
It’s crucial that we take this seriously and remain transparent. I am not hiding anything. If something has gone wrong, as we suspect in Ballari, it must be uncovered. We suspect that the drug could be a contributing factor, but we need solid proof. That’s what we are working towards before taking action against that particular pharmaceutical company involved.
We are already prosecuting the company, but we need to build a stronger case by carefully examining the facts to uncover the truth. Ultimately, the truth is what matters most, and that’s what we are striving to uncover.
