Bengaluru: Closure of 10 Maternity Hospitals hits maternal care

Bengaluru: Following the closure of 10 maternity hospitals run by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) for construction and renovation work, thousands of expectant mothers, particularly from low-income and migrant communities, are struggling to access affordable maternal healthcare. The shutdowns have forced many women to seek care at private hospitals or travel long distances to other government facilities.

GBA, which manages six referral hospitals, 28 maternity hospitals, two general hospitals, Namma Clinics, and urban primary health centres, has been upgrading infrastructure under the Brand Bengaluru project. However, the temporary closure of these 10 maternity hospitals has significantly reduced public maternity care availability in several neighbourhoods.

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Speaking to TOI, a senior GBA health official said, "In Yeshwantpur, the construction of the maternity hospital building was completed years ago, but the facility did not become operational because of the absence of essential medical equipment and supporting infrastructure. In several other locations, renovation and construction work is still underway, delaying the resumption of services."

According to the news reports, a 26-year-old expectant mother from Shantinagar said she used to visit the Shantinagar maternity hospital for all her check-ups. However, the hospital is now closed, and the nearest government hospital is far away. She said private hospitals are asking for Rs 60,000 to Rs 1,60,000 for delivery, which they simply cannot afford, as her husband is a daily-wage worker and travelling so far every time is exhausting. Similarly, a migrant worker living in Adugodi, the closure of the local maternity hospital said that her first child had been delivered at Adugodi maternity hospital, but for her second pregnancy, the hospital was closed, forcing her to visit a private clinic where even basic tests were very expensive.

The closures have hit daily-wage workers, migrant labourers, and economically weaker sections hardest, as these groups largely rely on government maternity hospitals for antenatal care and deliveries. With public facilities unavailable, patients are left with little choice but to seek treatment at private hospitals at unaffordable costs or approach already overburdened government hospitals elsewhere in the city.

Administrative restructuring following the transition from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to Greater Bengaluru Authority, along with the creation of five city corporations, has complicated hospital management. Hospitals that earlier fell under the West zone now come under the North city corporation, leading to incomplete paperwork, delays, and salary-related issues for staff.

"Many of the maternity hospitals currently have limited capacity, with some operating with as few as 12 beds and others with 24 or 30 beds. Under the Brand Bengaluru project, GBA has initiated plans to upgrade infrastructure and increase capacity, with about 14 hospitals being expanded to 30 beds and five others to 50 beds. This is happening at a snail's pace," added the health official, reports TOI.

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Health officials have assured that services will be restored in a phased manner once construction is completed. Outpatient services will resume first in hospitals where building work is finished, followed by inpatient services after the remaining works are completed.