Karnataka government to start ultrasonography training prog; procurement of 496 drugs fast-tracked

Bengaluru: The state govt, in an order passed Thursday, approved a new six-month ultrasonography training programme for in-service MBBS doctors at 11 district hospitals across, a move aimed at boosting maternal health services and strengthening implementation of the PC-PNDT Act.Training centres were identified at district hospitals in Chikkaballapur, Dharwad, Tumakuru, Vijayapura, Ballari, Kolar, and Bagalkote, as well as key facilities in Bengaluru, Davanagere, and Mangaluru, including KC General Hospital and the Lady Goschen–Wenlock Hospital complex. Candidates will be selected only from among serving MBBS medical officers, as per existing service rules and norms.
Amid reports of drug shortages in govt health institutions, the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd fast-tracked procurement for 496 drugs for 2025–26 to prevent shortages. Notifications of award were issued for 99 drugs, while tenders for the remaining 397 are under evaluation and are expected to conclude by March. Essential antibiotics (about 25 items), analgesics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, and IV fluids are expected to start arriving in Feb–March, according to a press note issued Friday by health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao."To bridge supply gaps, an interim arrangement through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) was proposed, and a proposal was submitted to the Pharma & Medical Bureau of India (PMBI) for the supply of generic medicines to govt hospitals through authorised distributors. To support it, Rs 50 crore will be allocated from Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd (KSMSCL) existing funds to various health facilities. In addition, health institutions were facilitated to directly procure medicines through the GeM Portal, wherever required, as a supplementary measure," the note read.