Mangalore, Jan 20, 2014: The members of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged a day long dharna in front of DC Office on Jan 20, Monday demanding to halt withdraw the privatization of Wenlock Hospital and establishment of District medical college.
Addressing the protestors, Muneer Katipalla president of district DYFI said that 17,000 posts in the state is being vacant in the health department and government hospitals, but still the government hospitals are being privatized, instead of strengthening them.
He also said that the government has neglected government hospitals without providing infrastructure and sufficient number of staff. It has resulted in the commercialization of health sector. The Government Wenlock Hospital has been handed over to private medical college in the name of maintenance.
CPI(M) district secretariat member Vasanth Achari said that Private hospitals charge different rates for same treatment as there is no government mechanism to check the violations.The district administration must implement uniform rate system in all hospitals in the district, he said.
The government should immediately cancel the MoU and provide quality treatment to poor at Wenlock Hospital. The Government must establish a government medical college in the city. The Wenlock hospitals must utilize the amount of Rs 1 lakh each taken from the students of various medical colleges deposited during their internship.
The protesters warned to hold massive protest along with labour groups and progressive groups in the coming days, if they failed to fulfill their demands.
DYFI secretary Dayananda Shetty and city committee president Imthiyaz BK and CPI(M) were present.
