What is the Karnataka health department's plan for community health centers?

Karnataka plans to downgrade about 207 community health centers (CHCs) from comprehensive (CEmONC) to basic (BEmONC) care facilities by November 2025, impacting specialist availability.

Why are Karnataka's CHCs being downgraded?

The health department cites low delivery numbers (under 30 per month) at some CHCs as justification for downgrading and redeploying specialists to taluk hospitals.

What are the concerns about Karnataka's healthcare reorganisation?

Critics fear that downgrading CHCs will reduce geographic access to specialist maternal and child care for rural populations, potentially increasing risks.

Home / Health / Karnataka's Healthcare Shake-up: Rural Health Centers Downgraded

Karnataka's Healthcare Shake-up: Rural Health Centers Downgraded

7 Jan

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Summary

207 out of 249 community health centers will be downgraded from CEmONC to BEmONC.
CHCs with under 30 monthly deliveries will lose specialists by November 2025.
This aims to redeploy specialists to 147 taluk hospitals and 42 other facilities.

Karnataka's Healthcare Shake-up: Rural Health Centers Downgraded

Karnataka's health and family welfare department has ordered a significant "rationalisation" of mother and child health specialists, set to take effect by November 7, 2025. This directive will lead to the downgrading of approximately 207 out of 249 community health centers (CHCs) from comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) facilities to basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC) centers. CHCs with fewer than 30 deliveries per month are deemed "non-performing" and will lose their specialist triad of gynaecologist, anaesthetist, and paediatrician.

The policy aims to redeploy these specialists to bolster 147 taluk hospitals and 42 other designated CEmONC facilities, addressing existing vacancies and improving specialist ratios in higher-level centers. However, public health advocates argue that this consolidation narrows the geographic spread of comprehensive obstetric care, potentially increasing referral times and risks for rural populations. Many fear that downgraded CHCs will primarily be staffed by MBBS doctors and nurses, impacting timely interventions.