Speaking on the occasion, CPI(M) district secretary B Madhava said that the Wenlock Hospital, which has a history of about 150 years, is also serving poor people from Kasaragod, Kodagu, Chikmagalur, Shimoga, Hassan in addition to patients from undivided Dakshina Kannada district. “If fee structure was introduced in such a hospital, only rich people can avail the service in future,” he added.
The government, which always protect rich, had already handed over blood bank and mortuary to private medical college in the name of development. Now the government is introducing fee structure for services in the hospital in the name of Public-Private-Partnership, he said adding that it is a move to sell the Wenlock Hospital.
Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) district unit president Muneer Katipalla said that the government could not introduce the fee structure in Wenlock Hospital in 2006 due to public protest organised by Left Parties.
“It is a Constitutional responsibility of an elected government in a democracy to assure health security to citizens,” he said adding that commercialising government hospitals is a violation of Constitutional right.
Leaders representing various Left Parties participated in the protest.
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