Karnataka's infant mortality rate drops over 50% since 2010-12
Bengaluru: Karnataka has seen a significant improvement in infant health outcomes, with the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) dropping by more than 50 percent over the past decade.
IMR is the number of deaths of infants under the age of one per 1,000 live births. The IMR in the state has fallen two points from 17 in 2021 to 15 in 2022, according to the Sample Registration System bulletin, as cited by Deccan Herald on Thursday.
In Karnataka, the IMR has seen a 50.4 percent drop in 2020-22 compared to the previous decade, coming down to an average of 17.3 from 34.9 in 2010-12.
Both rural and urban areas in Karnataka have seen similar progress, with close to a 50% decline in infant mortality cases. Healthcare experts attribute this positive trend to advancements in healthcare infrastructure, better neonatal care, and improved institutional delivery rates.
Dr Rajath Athreya, lead neonatologist and senior consultant at a private hospital in Bengaluru, noted that both government and private facilities have contributed to this. “Over the past few years, institutional deliveries and safe delivery practices have gone up. Many government facilities have been upgraded, and Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) have been set up. Access to private facilities has improved in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, and vaccination coverage has also improved,” DH quoted him as saying.
Despite the progress, challenges such as premature births, infections, and congenital defects continue to persist. Athreya also highlighted the need to address regional disparities within the state, including improving human resources and infrastructure by replicating what has been done in districts and states that are doing better, and fully utilising available funds.
Meanwhile, neonatal mortality, or deaths occurring within the first 28 days of life, remains the most pressing concern. Dr Suman Rao, Head of the Department of Neonatology at a Bengaluru-based hospital, said that care given to newborn babies at birth needs to improve.
While India’s Neonatal Mortality Rate stood at 19 in both 2021 and 2022, Karnataka has marginally improved from 13 in 2021 to 12 in 2022.
“We need to improve administering antenatal corticosteroids for women with preterm pregnancies at the right time so babies have a better chance of survival. We are aiming to have at least one person in every birthing facility trained in basic newborn resuscitation,” DH quoted Dr Rao as saying.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka excise scam allegation: BJP-JD(S) go for overnight agitation inside Karnataka Assembly
Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP and its ally JD(S) on Tuesday launched an overnight agitation in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly demanding state Excise Minister R B Timmapur’s resignation over allegations of corruption in his department.
The BJP alleged widespread corruption in the Excise Department, and bribe is demanded to issue liquor licences.
Opposition leader R Ashoka charged that the alleged scam is to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore.
He also alleged that the money was being used by the ruling Congress to fund the party in the poll-bound states.
The opposition had been alleging corruption in the department. The recent trigger was the arrest of Excise Deputy Commissioner of the Bengaluru Urban District Jagadeesh Naik and two other officials by the Lokayukta sleuths, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 25 lakh on January 16.
According to Lokayukta officials, they were accused of demanding Rs 80 lakh to issue CL-7 (Hotels & Boarding Houses) and micro brewery licence.
The Minister had declined the BJP’s demand for his resignation, saying no ministers during the BJP government had ever stepped down.
"Corruption is not a new phenomenon, especially in my department," the minister said in the Assembly while replying to the opposition’s charge.
Timmapur said he was instrumental in reducing the corruption at every level and simplified the process of issuing licences after holding discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
There have been allegations against all the ministers by the Federation of Wine Merchants’ Association, right from J H Patel, Renukaswamy and Katta Subramanya Naidu. Now the federation has been non-existent for the past 20 years, the Minister said.
"After I became Minister, I simplified the process and brought in the system of counselling. I made a provision for renewal every five years because doing it annually makes it a problem. Wasn’t that a change? There were 16 login need for CL-7 where everyone used to delay the process. I reduced these logins to seven,” Timmapur claimed.
He said he knows that there are people having 20 to 100 benami licences.
"Shouldn’t the people from the weaker section get the licences? That’s why I brought E-Auction," the minister said.
As the BJP alleged that the officer caught by Lokayukta had mentioned the name of the minister in a purported audio, Timmapur said there were clear audios of a former chief minister involved in horse trading, but in his case, the officer in question was only misusing his name.
He added that there were many scams during the BJP rule, including the egg scam, APMC scam, Bhovi Development Corporation scam, Devaraj Urs Terminal scam, Ganga Kalyana scheme scam, Tourism department scam, KEONICS scam, Bitcoin, COVID-19 scam and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his son and BJP state president B Y Vijayendra’s property scams.
"How many ministers resigned? No one resigned. I introduced many reforms after discussing with the CM. My involvement is nil. Should I resign? What mistake I have I committed? I reject all these bogus stories of my involvement in corruption," he said.
He challenged the BJP leaders to prove their allegation.
“Your charges will neither bother me nor will it bog me down. I don’t need to resign,” Timmapur asserted.
Unsatisfied with the reply, the opposition raised slogans against the Congress government and the minister.
As the chaos continued, Speaker U T Khader adjourned the House for the day. Soon, the BJP and JD(S) MLAs trooped into the well of the House and started shouting slogans against the Congress government, demanding the minister's resignation.
Ashoka announced an overnight demonstration. The videos and photographs shared by Ashoka's office showed MLAs standing in the well of the House holding posters and placards.
"Until the minister resigns, we will hold the agitation inside the House," Ashoka said.
