Health sector can attract investments of Rs 9 trillion by 2022: Dr K Sudhakar

Bengaluru, Dec 19: With the right kind of investments, the healthcare sector can attract public and private investments to the tune of Rs 9 trillion by 2022, Karnataka Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr K Sudhakar said on Saturday.

In his keynote address at the first pre-event of 'TechBharat 2021' hosted jointly by Laghu Udyog Bharati and IMS Foundation, Union Government and the Karnataka Government here on Saturday, he said that in the last two decades healthcare has witnessed substantial technological advancements which has created many opportunities to provide good healthcare to the masses.

He said, “Be it remote health monitoring tools, fitness wearables, medical robotics, electronic health record, 3D printing, telemedicine, medical kiosks, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) enabled genome sequencing, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for remote patient care and reliable treatment, internet of medical things (IoMT), cloud based platforms for healthcare, etc., have helped our healthcare systems cope with present and future demands. Further, for entrepreneurs in the field of healthcare, these technological advancements have created umpteen opportunities in providing good healthcare to the population.”

The Minister gave a clarion call to investors to set up high-end healthcare services in Karnataka and assured that his government will traverse the extra mile in supporting such enterprise on priority.

Dr Sudhakar said, “Karnataka is a land full of opportunities for players in the medical devices industry. It has also become one of the leading destinations for high-end diagnostic services with tremendous capital investment for advanced diagnostic facilities, thus catering to a greater proportion of population. Further through social entrepreneurship, access and traction to healthcare insurance, financing of healthcare services, building healthcare repositories and adoption of innovative business models to tackle healthcare needs. Again, skilling or developing healthcare resources is the biggest challenge as well as an opportunity worldwide. In addition, promoting strategic partnerships amongst pharmaceutical establishments and framing proper regulations and monitoring of compliance across pharma industries, etc are all business opportunities waiting in the wings to be grabbed by investors.”

Mr Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary echoing the same sentiments said: “Karnataka has been attracting global audience with its integrated and strategic growth plans that offer immense investment potential, apart from healthcare and education, across its varied sectors vis-à-vis IT/BT, pharmaceuticals, agri business and food processing, energy and infrastructure along with medical tourism.”

He said “Being in the government we are aware that governments play a crucial role in improving ranking of ease with which business is conducted. On this front over the last few years, the Ease of Doing Parameters has been considerably reduced. The state government has also started integrated services for the project approvals of the line departments related to industrial investments, which provides online filing of application, processing, status verification and also provision of downloading of final certificate/clearances. The system also provides third party verification of the certificates and clearances issued.”

TechBharat 2021 a Virtual Exhibition and Conference saw big ticket industry veterans in education and healthcare sectors deliberating on topics like technology to elementary education, higher education-research, collaboration & compliance, digital transformation in education management, education in India after NEP 2020, funding education & entrepreneurs, technology to healthcare, healthcare - innovation, research & regulatory compliance NextGen healthcare - digital transformation, healthcare & medical education in India after NHP 2015 and support to start-ups in healthcare technology over 12 hours.

Speaking on the occasion, Infosys Limited former Chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan said that during the COVID period there has been a massive acceleration and adoption of digital technology in everybody's life. “The digital transformation which would have happened in five years has occurred in just five months be it e-com, WFH, consumption of digital content, financial business and so on,” he added.

In his welcome address Laghu Udyog Bharati President P S Srikanta Dutta said that healthcare and education are two vital streams that drive economic and GDP growth significantly across the globe. 'By organising TechBharat, we at LUB-K and IMS Foundation would like to do our small bit by contributing to the growth of the Indian economy'.

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No cases yet, but vigilance high: Karnataka braces for Nipah threat

News Network

February 3,2026

Bengaluru: Following reports of fresh Nipah virus (NiV) cases in West Bengal and heightened vigilance across parts of Southeast Asia, the Karnataka Health Department has placed the state on high alert and activated emergency preparedness protocols.

Health officials said enhanced surveillance measures have been initiated after two healthcare workers in Barasat, West Bengal, tested positive for the virus earlier this month. While no cases have been reported in Karnataka so far, authorities said the state’s past exposure to Nipah outbreaks and high inter-state mobility warranted preventive action.

Officials have directed district health teams to intensify monitoring, particularly at hospitals and points of entry, and to ensure early detection and isolation of suspected cases.

High Mortality Virus with Multiple Transmission Routes

Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and has a reported fatality rate ranging between 60 and 75 per cent. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the natural reservoirs of the virus and can transmit it by contaminating food sources with saliva or urine.

Known modes of transmission include:

•   Contaminated food: Consumption of fruits partially eaten by bats or raw date-palm sap
•   Animal contact: Exposure to infected pigs or other animals
•   Human-to-human transmission: Close contact with body fluids of infected persons, particularly in healthcare settings

Symptoms and Disease Progression

The incubation period typically ranges from 4 to 14 days, though delayed onset has also been reported. Early symptoms often resemble common viral infections, making prompt clinical suspicion critical.

•   Initial symptoms: Fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, sore throat
•   Progressive symptoms: Drowsiness, disorientation, altered mental state
•   Severe stage: Seizures, neck stiffness and acute encephalitis, which can rapidly progress to coma

Public Health Advisory

The Health Department has issued precautionary guidelines urging the public to adopt risk-avoidance practices to prevent any local spillover.

Do’s
•   Wash fruits thoroughly before consumption
•   Drink boiled and cooled water
•   Use protective equipment while handling livestock
•   Maintain strict hand hygiene

Don’ts
•   Avoid fruits found on the ground or showing bite marks
•   Do not consume beverages made from raw tree sap, including toddy
•   Avoid areas with dense bat populations
•   Do not handle sick or dead animals

Preparedness Measures

Officials confirmed that isolation wards are being readied in major government hospitals and that medical staff are being sensitised to identify early warning signs.

“There is no cause for panic, but there is a need for heightened vigilance,” a senior health official said, adding that there is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for Nipah, and care remains largely supportive.

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