BENGALURU: Karnataka's Rs 10,122 crore budget for 2020-21 - with barely any new schemes - has been slammed by experts for ignoring the public health system and instead, focusing on the private sector. Experts say that while Karnataka faces the dual burden of dealing with both non-communicable and communicable diseases, the state government is catering only to curative services at the cost of resolving public health challenges of health promotion and prevention.
The budget also fore-grounds surgeries at the cost of preventive and primary health care.
The government's decision to extend tele-medicine services to all Primary Health Centres/Wellness centres in a phased manner at a cost of Rs 19 crore has divided expert opinion, primarily on whether the government is replacing human contact with technology.
Some say that instead of making efforts to increase the number of health care staff in rural areas, the move is an expensive alternative which will benefit the corporate sector.
Incidentally, the Karnataka High Court recently directed the state government to fill vacant posts in rural areas by November 20, saying delaying such appointments is a violation of fundamental rights.
However, others say the decision will take quality health care to the doorstep of common people.
In keeping with the Niti Ayog's recommendation to the central government, the state government too has placed emphasis on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for both primary and tertiary care.
However, this has been a dismal failure, especially in Karnataka, leaving the government open to criticism that it is facilitating the use of government resources of the benefit of the private sector with zero accountability.
Establishment of an Institute of Dermatology and Cosmetology and an Institute of Geriatrics with the financial contribution from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences and a centralized Placement Cell there for the placement of doctors, nurses, para-medics and pharmacists is appreciated.