New Delhi, India — Tensions have escalated in Karnataka as Union minister Shobha Karandlaje accuses the state government of underreporting maternal fatalities, particularly spotlighting a series of deaths in Bellari district. Karandlaje has called for a thorough investigation and strict actions against Karnataka’s health minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao, following the recent deaths linked to medical procedures at local healthcare facilities.
The allegations came after reports surfaced of multiple deaths occurring at the Ballari district hospital and the Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) over a short span. According to Karandlaje, five women died within a week under questionable circumstances, events that she claims were preventable and poorly managed.
Central to the controversy is the use of a possibly tainted medical product. Karandlaje claims a glucose solution known as Ringer Lactate, which had been banned, was administered to patients undergoing cesarean sections. This product, supplied by Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical Ltd., was purportedly known to be unsafe, yet still found its way into medical use, contributing to the loss of life.
In response to the mounting crisis, Rao earlier indicated that the use of Ringer Lactate had already been discontinued in government hospitals as a precautionary measure. Nevertheless, the health department’s own reports identified seven severe complications, including four fatalities, following a series of 34 cesarean sections between November 9 and 11 at the Ballari hospital.
Digging deeper into the issue, Karandlaje highlighted concerns beyond just the immediate incidents. She claimed extensive corruption, significant shortages of staff and essential medicines across the state’s hospitals, and accused health officials of concealing critical information. She alleged that a report on hospital conditions prepared by a committee from Rajeev Gandhi University was suppressed by state authorities.
Further intensifying her criticism, Karandlaje questioned the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain. She raised doubts about the ownership of Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical Ltd. and the rationale behind selecting this particular supplier for essential medicines. Her concerns extended to the broader distribution and impact of the Ringer Lactate solution, provoking questions about how widespread the issue might be and the total number of casualties resulting from such negligence.
Corroborating the gravity of the situation, Karandlaje cited reports indicating a disturbing increase in maternal and child mortality rates, with 30 women and 111 children reported dead in a few districts alone over a recent period. She accused district health officers of being instructed to downplay these numbers, intensifying the scandal.
The case unfolding in Karnataka raises significant concerns about healthcare management and transparency in handling medical supplies and reporting health statistics. As the call for a rigorous investigation grows louder, it is clear that the implications of these allegations could be profound, potentially prompting a reassessment of medical and administrative practices across state-run facilities in India.