While the demand for better healthcare facilities is growing rapidly, the gap between the demand and supply is much more in tier-II and -III cities in low resource settings like north Karnataka.

Over last few years private players in the health sector have come into picture in north Karnataka by setting up multi-speciality hospital.

But they are hardly sufficient to meet the growing demand for better healthcare services in the region.

“This stagnation of government healthcare delivery and progressive private sector has resulted in a large disparity and mushrooming of both hospitals and medical colleges from tiny inadequate and unviable setups,” says senior diabetologist, Dr Chandrashekhar S. Patil of Diabetes Speciality Centre, Hubli and medical director at Vaatsalya Hospitals-Hubli.

Govt colleges

The Government medical colleges in North Karnataka which once dominated the scene in quality medical education in the last few decades are seeing relative stagnation in development, and have also made way for the more progressive and sophisticated private sector.

Dr Devi Prasad Shetty of Narayana Hrudalaya has been pointing out that there is need for more para medical staff and health workers and clinical assistants and lesser sophisticated hospitals in the State.

And strengthening district hospitals and setting up more medical colleges would go a long way in improving the healthcare in the region.

According to Dr Patil, “The development of Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) which is the alma mater for bulk of the medical fraternity in northern Karnataka, has failed to keep pace with present trends both in terms of facility and faculty”.

“What is required is a structured development that would create multitude of job opportunities and also distribute the resources and facilities of the healthcare sector efficiently in rural and urban areas, at the same time reducing the cost,” he added.

‘Rural Birthing Centre'

One of the new entrants in healthcare space and making rapid strides in tier II and III cities - Vaatsalya Hospitals has set up first ‘Rural Birthing Centre' at Kotumuchagi Village situated about 20 km from its hospital in Gadag district.

The centre was opened by Dr G.B. Bidinahal, President – IMA, Karnataka, recently. By opening the centre, Vaatsalya is attempting to create a new model for low cost birthing related healthcare services for the first time in the state.

Furthermore, this experiement is an unique Public-Private Partnership venture involving Vaatsalya, Deshpande Foundation (Hubli) and Kotumuchagi Village Panchayat.

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