Department of Respiratory Medicine was started way back in 1986 at J.N. medical college Belagavi. Dr Rama Rao was the first Professor and Head of the department. In 1993 Dr A S Bagga Professor and Dr G.S. Gaude joined the department as Assistant Professor. It is catering to all the patients with respiratory diseases in for them Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Post-graduate (M.D) in Respiratory Medicine was started in the year 2002. Eventually the department has grown to the level of Metropolitan standards where all the respiratory diseases are treated efficiently. All the interventions in Pulmonology are done by the staff who are expertise in the field like Bronchoscopy, Thoracoscopy, Sleep study and ICU care etc. The department is a PG teaching department having five PG students intake for MD in Respiratory Medicine. The department is having attached designated microscopic laboratory facilities for Tuberculosis testing which is run under National Tuberculosis Elimination Program by the Government. This laboratory is doing the sputum examination for Tuberculosis including CBNAAT and LPA Testing free of cost and also giving free medication for Tuberculosis under the Government program. The department is well equipped with all the facilities like lung function test, with Diffusion Testing Bronchoscopy, Thoracoscopy, Sleep laboratory, ICU which can cater to the patients with all respiratory diseases. The department is actively participating in various health camps, CMEs, talks etc. The department has actively participated during lung pandemic of H1N1, COVID-19 as frontline department.

The department gives regular Radio talks on important respiratory disease and disorders for the awareness of general public. The department also conducts special awareness camps on the occasion of World Asthma Day, World COPD Day and world TB Day. The department conducts regularly CME and Workshops for Undergraduate and Postgraduates students. The department successfully celebrated state level Pulmonologist Conference Pulmocon in 2018 in Belagavi.