Bengaluru, March 17 (NationPress) The BJP has raised concerns regarding the condition of the Health Department in Karnataka, asserting that it is in dire straits. During a session in the Assembly, Opposition Leader R. Ashoka criticized the government, claiming that the Principal Secretary of the Health Department has not set foot in the office for the past eight months.

In his address to the Assembly about the Health Department, R. Ashoka stated: "The Health Department is suffering due to ongoing disputes among senior officials. This has resulted in a complete standstill of operations within the department. The first step must be to resolve these internal conflicts before any improvements can be made to the Health Department."

He further added, "Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta has been absent from the office for approximately eight months. Is he working remotely? He is solely responsible for preparing, signing, and sending files, indicating a one-person process is at play here."

R. Ashoka noted that Harsh Gupta had communicated with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Personnel Reforms, mentioning that lower-level officers in the Health Department are forwarding files without adequate scrutiny. He highlighted the lack of oversight from the Deputy Secretary-1 and called for a complete restructuring along with direct recruitment for high-level positions.

Additionally, the Secretariat Employees' Union has expressed discontent in a letter directed at Harsh Gupta, stating, 'He has written arrogantly beyond his authority, and such derogatory remarks that demoralize employees reflect a troubling mindset. This is not characteristic of an efficient officer.' This indicates a significant conflict between the officer and the staff, raising questions about the potential for improvement within the Health Department.

R. Ashoka emphasized that the public relies heavily on the Home, Revenue, and Health Departments, yet among these, the Health Department appears to be faltering.

He recalled a previous discussion in the Belagavi session regarding a shortage of medicines, to which Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had responded that tenders for medicine procurement would be initiated promptly.

Moreover, the Doctors' Association has repeatedly alerted the government about the ongoing medicine shortage and has also staged protests.

During a discussion about the transfer of doctors from Community Health Centres, the Medical Education Minister had affirmed that 'no doctors would be reassigned.' However, despite this assurance, doctors were indeed transferred. "Should we conclude that the minister misled the House?" Ashoka questioned.

A study by PRS revealed that the national average health expenditure in the budget is 6.2%, while Karnataka's allocation stands at only 4.9%. In contrast, Delhi invests 14.5% and Rajasthan 8.4%. Despite claims of increased budgetary allocation for health, the actual spending remains meager.

He demanded clarity from the government regarding the procurement of medicines: "If medicines have indeed been purchased and tenders issued, how much has been spent? What volume of medicines has been acquired and supplied?"

Gynecologists from Community Health Centres have approached him with various concerns, noting that doctors have been removed from 228 Community Health Centres, resulting in a decrease in deliveries and an inability to attend to other patients or implement central government schemes. "The government must revoke this order," he insisted.

In raising the issue of the Health Department's precarious condition, Ashoka asserted that mere slogans are insufficient; the ministry must ensure that its officers are actively engaged. "The health department is mired in controversies, with reports of maternal and neonatal fatalities, medicine shortages, insufficient ambulances, and illegal sex determination centers dominating the headlines," he criticized.

Furthermore, senior MLA V. Sunil Kumar reported that doctors are voicing concerns about being dismissed from Primary Health Centres, while Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao reiterated that no such layoffs have occurred.

He concluded by noting that internal disputes have rendered the Health Department ineffective, claiming that it has overlooked medicine procurement for an entire year. "Consider the ramifications of not purchasing medicines for a year," Ashoka stated.

He revealed that a senior officer, frustrated by ongoing conflicts, had stalled the medicine purchase file for three months, calling for an investigation into the matter.

He pointed out that the essential stock of medicines required at PHCs is 534, alongside an additional 1,300 necessary medications. "A review of the stock indicates a significant shortage of hundreds of medicines," he declared.