Ballari : The state government is taking steps to strengthen public healthcare by addressing staff shortages, medicine supply issues and infrastructure gaps within the next two months, health minister UT Khader said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters here, Khader said the cabinet has approved the recruitment of 1,000 doctors. Of these, 250 have already been appointed through direct recruitment. Karnataka currently operates 450 ambulances and is procuring another 350. Khader said ambulances must reach taluk headquarters from villages within 20 to 25 minutes, warning that service providers would face a Rs 3,000 penalty for failing to meet the response-time target.
Until the process is completed, districts have been allowed to hire staff on an outsourcing basis to meet immediate requirements.
Referring to demands raised by 108 ambulance employees, he said some issues were linked to budget constraints, while others were yet to be clearly defined.
Essential medicines are available, he said, and district health officers have powers to procure certain drugs locally. Highlighting food safety inspections in hotels and bakeries, Khader said the initiative had enhanced Karnataka’s reputation nationally and urged citizens to report violations through QR codes. Noting that private hospitals are largely concentrated in urban centres, he said strengthening govt healthcare remains a priority for rural residents who depend on the public health system.
The government is formulating a separate women’s health policy and setting up a dedicated wing to address maternal and other healthcare needs. On medicine shortages, he attributed supply gaps in some areas to delays in the tendering process, describing them as technical issues. All pending issues will be resolved within two months, he assured.