Over 3000 maternal deaths in past five years in Karnataka: CMO

There have been over 3,350 maternal deaths in the last five years in Karnataka, the Chief Minister’s Office said on Monday. The fatalities have been on the decline during this period, according to data issued by the government. The CMO’s releasing the data comes in the wake of a controversy surrounding the recent maternal deaths in the state’s Ballari district.

The total number of maternal deaths in the past five years stands at 3,364. An analysis of the data reveals the highest number of maternal deaths occurred during Covid-19 when the BJP was in power.

In 2019-2020, 662 maternal deaths were reported, with the number rising slightly to 714 the following year. However, the figures have since dropped, with 595 deaths recorded in 2021-2022, 527 in 2022-2023, and 518 in 2023-2024.

As of November 2024, the number of maternal deaths in the state stands at 348. Karnataka’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) during this period stands at 64 per one lakh live births, according to the data.

On Sunday, the Karnataka government established a four-member panel to investigate the maternal deaths at Ballari Hospital and other locations across the state.

Since November, the total number of maternal deaths in Ballari has reached five.