Executive CV

Dr Prashant Bhat

Public Health Leader · Health Systems Strategist · Epidemiologist

27+ years of professional experience · prashant@drbhat.co.in

Professional Experience

Deputy Director, National Free Drugs and Diagnostic Services

Government of Karnataka – Directorate of Health and Family Welfare · 2026–Present

Lead planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of NFDS across Karnataka; provide strategic and technical leadership for diagnostics, laboratory networks, imaging services, biomedical equipment, policy, procurement, digital systems, PPP diagnostics, research and quality improvement.

Senior Manager, Biomedical Equipments, KSMSCL (Additional Charge)

Karnataka Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. · 2026–Present

Lead end-to-end procurement and lifecycle governance of medical equipment, reagents and allied health technologies; technical specifications and tender evaluation; vendor and contract oversight; commissioning and performance monitoring; and development of the Karnataka Biomedical Equipment Management System.

Adjunct Professor, Prasanna School of Public Health (Consultancy)

Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal Academy of Higher Education · 2024–Present

Academic and research collaboration, One Health teaching, student mentoring and internships, health-system linkages, and One Health and climate-change adaptation studies.

District Vector Borne Disease Control Officer, Udupi

Government of Karnataka – Directorate of Health and Family Welfare · 2016–2026

Led district vector-borne disease control from 2016 to June 2026, including programme planning, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, staff capacity building, data-to-action reviews and administrative management.

National Consultant, Monitoring and Evaluation

World Health Organization, India – Central TB Division · 2014–2016

Supported India's Central TB Division in M&E policy, internal evaluation, training, programme reviews, operational research, Global Fund coordination, technical and operational guidelines, Standards for TB Care training tools, the RNTCP website and Joint Monitoring Missions.

Medical Consultant, WHO-RNTCP Technical Assistance Project

World Health Organization, India · 2010–2014

Provided technical assistance for TB programme planning, training, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, electronic reporting, data validation, programme evaluation, public-private coordination, MDR-TB and TB/HIV scale-up, operational research and drug logistics.

Administrative Medical Officer

Government of Karnataka – Directorate of Health and Family Welfare · 1999–2010

Delivered primary clinical care and implemented, supervised and monitored National Health Programmes; managed PHC administration and finances, medico-legal responsibilities, NGO coordination, operational-research data collection and community health awareness.

Selected Achievements

COVID-19 surveillance and emergency response — Udupi

2020

Led the district COVID-19 pandemic response, guiding establishment, operationalisation, streamlining and monitoring of the emergency response and surveillance system.

Malaria Reduction in Udupi: 513 to 6 Annual Cases

Led Udupi district to reduce malaria incidence to a single figure: 6 cases in 2024, from 513 cases in 2017.

Solarisation of 60 Primary Health Centres — Udupi

Led a CSR-supported green-energy initiative to solarise 60 Primary Health Centres in Udupi, strengthening reliable power availability for essential health and diagnostic services.

Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis in Udupi

Instrumental in clearing three Transmission Assessment Surveys in Udupi and submission of a dossier for elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis; led the district VBD team in demonstrating null local transmission.

Selected Publications

Mosquito prevalence, resting habitat preference, and Plasmodium infection status of anophelines in coastal Karnataka during the declining phase of malaria—an exploratory study
2024
Oxygen Scarcity and COVID-19: Lessons Learned During the May–June 2021 Peak, Karnataka, India
2023
Kyasanur Forest Disease, is our surveillance system healthy to prevent a larger outbreak? A mixed-method study, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India: 2019
2021
Performance-based financing contributes to resilient health services affected by the Liberian Ebola outbreak
2017
Intensified Tuberculosis Case Finding among Malnourished Children in Nutritional Rehabilitation Centres of Karnataka, India: Missed Opportunities
2013