CPI(M) forms human chain to protest against ‘privatisation’ of government hospitals

The Communist Party of India (Marxist), Mangaluru City Committee, formed a human chain in front of the Wenlock District Hospital on Monday, demanding that the government withdraw its decision to run government hospitals with the help of professionals from private medical colleges.

Other demands of the party included upgrading Wenlock Hospital into a super-speciality hospital, establishing units of Jayadeva Cardiology Hospital and Kidwai Cancer Hospital in Dakshina Kannada district, and regularisation of contract employees who have been serving in health centres in the city for many years.

Addressing cadres, CPI(M) Dakshina Kannada district secretary Muneer Katipalla said that privatising the healthcare sector would violate the fundamental right to healthcare guaranteed by the Constitution. He demanded that the government immediately abandon its policy of weakening the public healthcare system and handing government hospitals over to the private sector. He said that the government should increase investment in the healthcare sector and modernise public hospitals.

Heart and cancer treatment

CPI(M) district committee member Sunil Kumar Bajal said a situation had arisen in which people from the district had to travel to distant cities for heart and cancer treatment. If units of Jayadeva and Kidwai hospitals were established in the district, thousands of patients would benefit, he said. He demanded that Wenlock Hospital be developed into a state-of-the-art medical facility to provide quality treatment to the people of the district.

In his opening remarks, CPI(M) Mangaluru City South secretary Yogish Jappinamogaru said it was the responsibility of a pro-people government to protect the public healthcare system. People should unite in opposing attempts to commercialise health services through the privatisation of hospitals, he said. He demanded that contract employees who had been working in urban health centres for many years be made permanent without delay and that the public healthcare system be further strengthened. He said that the party’s struggle would continue until these demands were met.

Several other leaders, including Santosh Bajal, B.K. Imtiaz and Pramila, addressed the cadres.