BENGALURU: Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao called for greater corporate investment in the health sector through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
Speaking during the second roundtable by the Health Department and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), Gundu Rao emphasised the potential for CSR projects to drive significant improvements in healthcare. He assured that the government and health department are fully prepared to offer support and cooperation in this regard.
The minister highlighted ongoing efforts by the department to enhance public health, including initiatives focused on early disease detection. He mentioned that the ‘Gruha Aarogya’ Scheme is being implemented to provide door-to-door health checks and medicine delivery in rural areas, and invited corporate companies to contribute through CSR to the project.
Rao also called for CSR support for technology provision in the scheme and vaccine research, particularly for diseases such as Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) and endemic monkey disease. He emphasized the need for vaccine development to address these public health concerns, and urged companies to allocate CSR funds to support such research initiatives.
During roundtable discussions held on Friday, the officials also discussed a 3-5 year roadmap focused on improving public health systems by introducing affordable, accessible, and high-quality indigenous health technologies across the state. The initiative aims to launch joint projects that will implement these innovative health technologies in Karnataka through pilot programs and scale-up projects. Previously, C-CAMP, in partnership with the Health Department and the National Health Mission introduced solutions for maternal and child care and comprehensive eye care.
Gundu Rao highlighted that the department is determined to make Karnataka a model for healthcare excellence.