More than 70 per cent of the maternal deaths observed between April 2024 and December 2024 could have been prevented in Karnataka, an audit report stated on Friday.
A technical committee, headed by the Director of Health and Family Welfare Services of the state government, released a report examining maternal deaths recorded between April 1 and December 31, 2024, prompted by the tragic loss of five pregnant women in Ballari in November 2024.
The committee’s report reviewed maternal deaths across the state, including those in government and private hospitals.
According to the report, it was identified that 18 maternal deaths were linked to complications arising from Ringer’s lactate solution. The audit noted negligence by service providers as a contributing factor in several cases, and disciplinary action has been recommended for 10 individuals.
The report further revealed that half (50 per cent) of the maternal deaths occurred among women aged 19 to 25 years, while six per cent involved women over 35 years of age. A significant number of deaths–72 per cent–occurred during first-time or second-time pregnancies.
In addition, the report highlighted that 68.5 per cent of maternal deaths involved women with pre-existing conditions such as hypertension, cardiac disorders, diabetes, and infections.
When it comes to the locations of these deaths, 65 per cent occurred in government hospitals, 22 per cent in private hospitals, 10 per cent en route to a healthcare facility, and 2 per cent at home. Hypertension, haemorrhage, and sepsis were identified as the leading causes of maternal mortality in the state.
The audit report was released during a press conference by Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who emphasised the transparency of the report, assuring the public that the government was committed to ensuring that no details were concealed.
He further stated that a thorough investigation was ongoing to address the causes of these maternal deaths.
“Five pregnant women died in Ballari in November. There was a suspicion about the cause of death. It was found that the ringer lactate solution was the cause of death. We got their death audits done and an investigation was done to find out what other cause of death there was. A committee of 15 people was formed. Now, that committee has given its report. We are showing this transparently so that people know. There is no cover-up in this; we are putting all this before the people,” Rao stated.
Meanwhile, according to a notice, the state has achieved the Sustainable Development Goal with respect to the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), wherein the MMR should be less than 70 by 2030. The state MMR is 57 during 2024-25. This is also the lowest MMR in the last five years.
(With inputs from ANI)
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