Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao rejected the demand for uniform surgery rates in state-run hospitals. He said the state cannot take on more financial pressure without proper support from the Centre. Large differences still exist between CGHS rates and the state’s schemes such as Yashaswini, AB-ArK, and Arogya Bhagya. BJP MLC Dr. Dhananjay Sarji had earlier raised concerns because families end up paying more for major procedures.
Rao explained that AB-ArK covers nearly 1.4 crore households, including 69 lakh CGHS families. The state currently spends almost ₹2,000 per family each year. In contrast, the Centre should provide ₹1,000 for CGHS households but has released only ₹450 crore so far. Karnataka has already spent ₹1,800 crore. Any increase in surgery rates would push the state into deeper financial stress, so the government will not revise charges now.
JD(S) member Govindaraju later raised concerns about rising cesarean deliveries. Rao responded that many women choose C-sections due to fear, social pressure, or labor pain, not only due to malnutrition. He added that the state can intervene only when hospitals conduct procedures without consent.
The minister urged families to build better awareness about pregnancy care. He also said Bengaluru hospitals have reduced waiting times with QR-based systems. Doctors and paramedical teams remain fully available in major hospitals.
