Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, presiding over the review meeting of the Health Department at the Mysuru level on December 1. Photo credit: MA SRIRAM
Dinesh Gundu Rao, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, has directed officials to conduct more awareness programs to curb and prevent femicide.
At a meeting of officials from the Mysuru division on December 1, in a meeting to review the progress of the department, he further said that femicide has negative social consequences and this aspect should be highlighted in awareness programmes.
The minister suggested that each district should analyze data on male and female children born between April and October every year and implement information, education and communication programs where the number of girls is lower.
Expressing concern over the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Mr. Rao said that all efforts should be made to reduce the IMR to zero. Pregnant women with high-risk conditions must be closely monitored and along with IMR, even maternal mortality must be reduced to zero, he added.
With regard to IMR, he said as many as 914 cases were reported from the eight districts of Mysuru division from April to October, with Kodagu district recording a higher rate.
Snake bite treatment
The meeting also discussed issues related to snakebite and it was pointed out that 4,089 cases were reported in Mysuru division. Of these, up to 23 deaths were reported.
The minister was informed that many snakebite victims delay proper treatment by opting for local remedies. He urged people to seek medical attention without delay, adding that the Ministry of Health maintains sufficient stocks of rabies and snake venom vaccines.
The meeting also discussed screening for various diseases, including cancer, hypertension and diabetes. Officials have been instructed to intensify the vetting process and conduct workshops.
It was pointed out that daily chemotherapy is being provided in Mysuru, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan and Udupi district hospitals, with 143 persons benefiting so far. As part of the scheme Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyothi treated 1,646 patients with critical heart conditions. Officials have been asked to provide details of deaths and survivors to assess the effectiveness of the system.
Manje Gowda, MLC, Shivakumar, Health Commissioner, Vasanth Kumar, Director, National Health Mission, Yukesh Kumar, CEO, Mysuru Zilla Panchayat and other officials were present.
Published – 01 Dec 2025 19:50 IST
