BENGALURU: Medical Education and Health Minister K Sudhakar is expecting this year’s budget to prioritise expenditure on healthcare. A detailed, scientifically planned proposal is said to have been presented to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa at the pre-budget meeting on Thursday. According to health department sources, this year’s budget will focus more on Kalyana Karnataka region and ensure that the emphasis is on disease prevention, primary, public health and wellness programmes.
Setting up Nimhans-like institute and a cancer institute like Kidwai in Kalyana Karnataka region is also proposed.“This year’s budget proposal has been a well-planned one. Experts from both the private and government sectors have been consulted. Even, doctors and health experts from Hyderabad have given us inputs as the focus is also on Hyderabad-Karnataka region. The pandemic has exposed the pathetic state of some of the districts in that region which needs immediate attention,” an official said.
The health officials said a major proposal includes upgrading of primary healthcare centres, especially in taluks and district hospitals.“We have proposed trauma care centres on many of the national highways. We have based this on the accident data available. Setting up of trauma care centres will avoid people with head injuries being taken all the way to Nimhans. The golden hour is crucial,” said a senior doctor who is part of the budget preparations.
Interestingly, it is likely to be a budget based on data and need. The proposals have been divided into immediate need, short-term and for long run. For instance, KFD disease or Monkey Fever is very region-based and hence funds should be allocated only to that region.The health minister is said to have proposed a hi-tech government hospital in all four zones — East, West, North and South zones — in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, health experts who have been working and monitoring the Covid situation in the state have a lot of expectations from this year’s budget. Speaking to TNIE, Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, member, Covid-19 expert committee and chairman, Manipal Hospitals, said that Karnataka should promote universal healthcare where the state is already a leader, and give it the boost it deserves.
Dr Giridhar Babu, senior epidemiologist and adviser, Covid-19 Task Force, said the state should greatly invest in disease prevention and health promotion. “Over the years, there has been increasing expenditure on only curative services, mostly for health insurance programmes. Given how the state had to struggle in managing the pandemic due to poor resources, it is important to invest in long-term outcomes such as building a proactive and resilient public health surveillance system. The state should invest more in addressing the determinants of health in ensuring healthier communities. This is especially important for preventing non-communicable diseases,” he added.
According to Dr Anant
Bhan, Bioethics researcher, there should be state-level funding for epidemiology, public health expertise especially at district level and the states should set up lab networks and have adequate human resources which will help in control of such outbreaks.