Mangaluru: DYFI plans march on April 28 to protest hospital tie ups, demand better healthcare

Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada district committee of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has announced a “Chalo District in-charge Minister’s Office” march on April 28, demanding the cancellation of agreements between government hospitals and private medical colleges and calling for strengthening public healthcare facilities. The march will be held from Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru to the Minister's office at DC office in Padil.

The DYFI has demanded the cancellation of the agreements. The department of health and family welfare has recently approved the agreements between government healthcare facilities and private institutions. Accordingly, the Belthangady Taluk Hospital and Moodbidri Community Health Centre have been linked with Alva’s Health Centre, Bantwal Taluk Hospital with A J Institute of Medical Sciences, and Vittal Community Hospital with Yenepoya Medical College, said DYFI district president B K Imthiyaz.

“We have been urging the government to strengthen the government healthcare systems in the state. However, the government has yielded to the pressure from private medical college lobbies while neglecting government hospitals,” he said.

For the treatment for cancer, cardiac patients, mental health care, people in the district have been demanding a unit of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Mangaluru. However, the government had recently stated that there was no proposal before it to set up such super-speciality institutions.

“We are also reiterating our demand for setting up a government medical college in the district, to cater to the poor patients and to upgrade the Government Wenlock Hospital into regional hospital Though the Health Minister is the DK district in charge minister, he has failed to understand the health care needs of the people in the district,” he alleged.

Even the BJP MLAs have remained silent on the agreements between government hospitals and private medical colleges, which aimed at weakening the healthcare system in the district.

DYFI stated that public healthcare services in Dakshina Kannada district have deteriorated significantly, with the number of primary health centres, community hospitals and taluk hospitals falling short of required standards. The organisation also pointed out that the district lacks super-speciality government institutions.

DYFI district secretary Santhosh Bajal said Kadaba, Moodbidri, Ullal, Mulki and Mangaluru taluks lack taluk hospitals as well. Mangaluru does not even have a community health centre, he alleged. During 2025-26, a total of 13,322 cancer patients (including those from outside the district) have been admitted to various hospitals including District Wenlock Hospital in the district, which is alarming.