Sudden Deaths Now ‘Notifiable’ in Karnataka — But Is That the Whole Story?

 Bengaluru Bureau | July 22, 2025

It’s not every day that a government labels “sudden death” as a notifiable condition — a phrase usually reserved for diseases, outbreaks, and public health threats. But that’s exactly what Karnataka did this Monday. And while the move seems noble on the surface, it's raising eyebrows — and questions — across the state.

“We can’t sit idle while young people are dropping dead in gyms or at weddings,” Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said at a packed press meet. His voice, calm yet firm, cut through the din of the room. “From now on, any sudden death outside of hospitals must be reported. A postmortem will be mandatory.”

The timing isn’t coincidental.

Just this past month, Karnataka, especially the Hassan district, has seen a spate of young and middle-aged individuals dying without warning — often of cardiac arrests. The public’s anxiety has grown louder, and the state government finally seems to be listening.

What’s more, this isn’t just about tracking deaths. It’s about learning from them.

The state plans to roll out yearly health screenings for anyone over 15 — a quiet acknowledgment that chronic conditions, long ignored, may be silently building up in the youth. “Even children may have undetected heart conditions,” Rao noted. “It’s time we take prevention seriously, not just cure.”

The COVID Conundrum

But the heart of the matter — no pun intended — lies in the shadow of the pandemic.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sparked a firestorm last week by vaguely linking the COVID vaccine to this rise in sudden deaths. Critics pounced. Scientists rolled their eyes. And BJP leaders asked if the CM was undermining public trust in vaccines his own party once promoted.

Rao, in an unusually candid moment, tried to douse the flames. “The CM’s intention wasn’t malicious,” he said. “He was asking questions that many citizens are already whispering.”

He clarified: “It’s not the vaccine. It’s COVID itself that left a mark on our bodies. People became sedentary. They were overmedicated. Some developed diabetes post-infection. The vaccine helped — especially the ones given in India.”

Still, Rao conceded that mRNA vaccines — the kind not used in India — have been linked to heart inflammation in some studies. That one caveat? It left the door slightly ajar for skeptics.

A Multi-Pronged Plan

The government isn’t stopping at declarations and clarifications. Here’s what’s changing:

• CPR Training: Schools, colleges, and public centers will soon conduct Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) drills — a long-overdue life skill now getting official backing.

• Curriculum Change: A chapter on sudden deaths and heart health will make its way into school textbooks by next academic year. Rao believes “knowledge saves lives — and sometimes, starts conversations at home.”

• Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyoti Scheme: Previously active in 86 hospitals, it will now reach taluk-level facilities. The scheme offers emergency care for sudden heart attacks — a tribute to the late Kannada actor, whose own sudden demise sent shockwaves across the state.

Yet, not everyone’s convinced.

“This feels too little, too late,” tweeted @HeartAwareIndia. “Where was this urgency in 2022 when deaths started creeping up?”

On the flip side, @BengaluruMedic wrote: “Finally! A government taking proactive public health seriously. Post-COVID hearts are fragile. We need this.”

A Political Undercurrent

Let’s not pretend this is all about health. There’s politics in play, too.

The ruling party’s subtle jabs at the Centre’s vaccine rollout strategy haven’t gone unnoticed. Nor has Siddaramaiah’s passive-aggressive swipe: “Before the BJP criticizes us, they should ask their conscience.”

Strong words — but maybe also a deflection.

Because beneath all this, one uncomfortable truth looms: We still don’t fully understand why some seemingly healthy people die so suddenly. COVID? Pre-existing conditions? Vaccine aftereffects? Lifestyle?

Maybe it’s not just one answer.

Maybe it never is.

FAQs

Q: Why is Karnataka treating sudden deaths as a notifiable disease?
A: To ensure every unexplained or unexpected death outside hospitals is investigated through mandatory postmortems, helping detect underlying causes and prevent future incidents.

Q: Are COVID vaccines linked to sudden heart attacks in Karnataka?
A: No definitive link has been established. Health officials stress that post-COVID effects and underlying conditions like diabetes, BP, and obesity are more likely contributors. mRNA vaccines (not used in India) have shown rare risks of heart inflammation.

In the end, whether it’s policy or politics, the effort to bring death out of the shadows may — just maybe — help us all live a little longer.